Grumpy Cat, the Internet celebrity cat who was the source of one of the most popular Internet memes, has passed away. She died in the arms of her mother Tabatha at the age of 7, after battling a urinary tract infection.
Her real name being Tardar Sauce, Grumpy Cat’s famous facial expression was due to her being born with both an underbite and feline dwarfism. She first came to prominence in 2012 when memes circulated with a picture of her face used to signify comically negative, cynical views.
The meme became viral, and she would soon make many media appearances, accompanied by Tabatha. She appeared in Friskies and Honey Nut Cheerios commercials, as well as made appearances on American Idol, The Soup, Good Morning America, and The Today Show over the next few years, with a highly publicized appearance at South by Southwest in 2013 at the height of her popularity.
Grumpy Cat also had a brief film career, having appeared in the 2013 documentary Lil Bub & Friendz, which focused on Internet cat celebrities. She then went on to appear in a Garfield-like Lifetime film titled Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever in 2014, where she played herself, with her “voice” being provided by Aubrey Plaza.
While the film marked the end of the golden age of Grumpy Cat’s popularity, she still maintained a huge following up until her death, with millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and reported to have been worth somewhere in the “low-six figures.”
She still remains one of the most beloved Internet celebrities in recent memory.
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