Internet star Grumpy Cat dies at age of 7

Grumpy Cat has 8.5 million fans on Facebook, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on T

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Internet star "Grumpy Cat" has died at the age of seven, her owners said early Friday.

"We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat," they said in a statement on Twitter.

Some days are grumpier than others... pic.twitter.com/ws209VWl97

— Grumpy Cat (@RealGrumpyCat) May 17, 2019

The famous feline, whose frowning visage endeared her to millions of fans across social media and saw her photographed with celebrities including Stan Lee and Jennifer Lopez, passed away Tuesday "in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha" at her home in Arizona.

"Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome," they said.

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

Hundreds of fans posted messages of condolences on social media.

"Rest in peace, darling. Your scowl towards me was one of the best moments of my life," Hollie-Anne Brooks posted on Twitter.

The mixed-breed cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, found fame when a photo of her as a kitten was posted on Reddit in September 2012, her website says.

"Her petite size and famous face is likely due to feline dwarfism and her rear end wobbles a bit when she walks due to this; otherwise she is a perfect little kitty!"

Despite her permanent frown, she was "super cute and cuddly."

Grumpy Cat has 8.5 million fans on Facebook, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on Twitter.

- Fat cat -

The branded merchandising, which included pillows, pens, mugs and bags, as well as the sponsorship and media deals were estimated to have made her owner, Tabatha Bundesen of Arizona, a wealthy woman. It allowed her to quit her job as a waitress at Red Lobster within days of her cat’s internet debut, US media reported.

Bundesen denied reports that she had made as much as $100 million from the cat’s fame, but has declined to say how much her pet earned.

The cat’s image was hot property: last year, a California jury awarded Bundesen’s company, Grumpy Cat Limited, damages of $710,001 in a lawsuit against a beverage company that had created an unauthorized line of "Grumpy Cat Roasted Coffee" and which was selling Grumppuccino tee-shirts without sharing profits.

Financially, Grumpy was a fat cat. But she was not bad-tempered in real life, according to her owner who attributed her scowly expression to the fact that she had feline dwarfism and a marked underbite.

Her death at the age of seven was due to a urinary tract infection, her Twitter account said, with the announcement, "Some days are grumpier than others."

"We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat," Bundesen wrote. "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," she said.

"Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere," she said.

Described by CNN as a "furry titan of the internet," Grumpy’s obituary appeared in The Washington Post, Der Spiegel in Germany, Le Monde and even the Russian business magazine Kommersant.

And, of course, her demise was the top trending story Friday on Twitter, where fans posted thousands of messages of condolence and mourning.