Grumpy Cat Meme Has Never Been More Appropriate

The Internet has reason to feel grumpy: It's mourning the death of one of its biggest stars—the Grumpy Cat. Actually named Tardar Sauce, the cat with feline dwarfism whose disgruntled face earned her 12.5 million fans across social platforms died Tuesday at age 7. "Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome," owner Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Ariz., said in a Friday tweet. Grumpy Cat became an internet star in 2012 when Bundesen's brother posted her photo on Reddit. It was viewed more than 1 million times within two days as users turned Grumpy Cat into a viral meme.

"She really isn't grumpy!" Bundesen wrote on the cat's website, describing the feline as cuddly and playful. "She LOVES to hide behind the curtains!" Though YouTube videos offered a peek at her playful side, it was Grumpy Cat's permanent scowl that helped her become "such a cultural phenomenon that she inspired art projects, perfumes, merchandise, Skechers shoes, comics, and even a 'Grumppuccino' coffee," per CNN. Grumpy Cat was also named as the official "spokescat" for Friskies and starred in a Lifetime movie, per the New York Times. "Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world" and "her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere," Bundesen said. (More cats stories.)