Arizona, Social Media Pay Tribute To Grumpy Cat

PHOENIX, AZ — Grumpy Cat, the adorably sourpussed feline known to his Phoenix-area humans as Tardar Sauce and immortalized by social media, died surrounded by loved ones still frowning Tuesday. The beloved pet was 7.

Everyone's favorite cat that never failed to delight died of complications of a urinary tract infection, Grumpy's family, who live in Morristown, said in a statement Friday.

Grumpy's death came "despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family," humans Tabatha, Bryan and Chrystal wrote in the statement.

"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 family wrote. "Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere."

Grumpy, or Tardar Sauce as the calico mix was originally named, has a form of dwarfism that causes a perpetual frown. Grumpy's rise to meteoric social media fame — she had 15.1 million followers on Twitter alone — began after Bryan Bundersen brother snapped a photo of his sister Tabatha's cat in 2012 and posted it on Reddit.

The social media world swooned. Grumpy won endorsement deals, including one with the cat food manufacturer Friskies, and wrote a handful of books and starred in a TV movie, "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever."

In 2016, Grumpy Cat joined the cast of the Broadway musical "Cats" in Los Angeles. A spokesman for the show told The Associated Press the kitty with the comical frown would "be worked into the end of the show … and become an honorary Jellicle Cat."

All that fame led to fierce competition for the rights to use Grumpy Cat as a spokes-cat. In 2018, Grumpy Cat Limited won a $710,000 jury award in a copyright infringement lawsuit that stemmed from a dispute with Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino, which had paid Tabatha Bundersen $150,000 in upfront royalties to use the cat's image on a single product, but began using it on others.

Condolences for Grumpy Cat's family are pouring in on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Beth Dalbey of Patch's national staff contributed to this report.