Grumpy Cat has died
Grumpy Cat has died, but she left quite a legacy. She’s one of the first pets to make big money for its owner as a successful influencer.
The internet star passed away due to complications from a urinary tract infection, according to her official Twitter. The cat had feline dwarfism, which her owner said accounted for her unique frown and smaller size.
Grumpy Cat — her real name was Tardar Sauce — rose to fame in 2012 after her owner’s brother, Bryan Bundesen, posted images of the cat’s perpetual frown on Reddit. To address suggestions that the cat had been Photoshopped into that expression, Grumpy Cat’s owner Tabatha Bundesen posted videos of her to YouTube. That’s when Grumpy Cat went viral.
Soon after, she landed a deal with Nestlé Purina’s Friskies pet food brand, starred in her own Lifetime movie called “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever,” and even had her likeness become a permanent Madame Tussauds wax figure. Grumpy Cat merchandise can be found in Hot Topic and Walmart.
Grumpy Cat was such a big shot that she even had legal troubles. Last year, Grumpy Cat Limited — the company founded by Bryan Bundesen to handle Grumpy’s business — won more than $700,000 in damages from a beverage company that had licensed Grumpy Cat to sell a line of iced coffees called Grumppuccinos. Grumpy Cat Limited claimed the company violated the licensing deal by selling unauthorized Grumppuccino T-shirts.