PUBLISHED ONMay 17, 2019 8:08 PMByTee Zhuo
Grumpy Cat, whose famously grouchy face inspired many popular memes, has died at age seven.
In a Friday (May 17) statement shared on her official social media accounts, her caretakers said that the famous feline, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, died on Tuesday of complications from a recent urinary tract infection.
"Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family... (the complications) unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome," said the statement signed by Tabatha, Bryan and Chrystal, the cat's family.
The cat died in the arms of her owner Tabatha Bundesen in their family home in Arizona.
"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world - even when times were tough," the statement said, adding that her spirit will live on through her fans.
Grumpy Cat, so named because of her famously furry frown, rose to fame when a photo taken by Ms Bundesen's brother Bryan went viral in 2012 on Reddit, according to the Independent.
The photo garnered more than one million views on Imgur within two days, reported Yahoo.
[embed]https://twitter.com/RealGrumpyCat/status/1129310647458467840[/embed]
Banking on her popularity, Ms Bundesen managed to quit her job as a restaurant waitress and set up Grumpy Cat Limited.
The firm's merchandise includes household items, stationery and even books "authored" by the feline, reported the Washington Post last January.
The firm bearing Grumpy's nickname has earned anywhere between US$1 million (S$1.38 million) and US$100 million in its first few years, reported the Washington Post.
Grumpy has appeared on television shows like Today, Good Morning America and American Idol.
She has also been featured by publications like Time, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine.
CNN said that she has also starred in a commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios and became an official "spokescat" for Nestle's Friskies cat food in 2013.
Ms Bundesen won US$710,000 (S$930,000) last January in court over a copyright infringement case involving a beverage company that had used Grumpy's image in a line of iced coffee drinks.
Grumpy Cat's death comes after she celebrated her seventh birthday just last month.
She has over 2.4 million followers on Instagram, 1.5 million on Twitter, and 8.5 million on Facebook.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BxEM-HUBp9p/[/embed]
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.