Grumpy Cat, the American internet celebrity cat, has died of complications from a urinary tract infection. She passed away on Tuesday, May 14, at home in the arms of her owner Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Arizona.
The announcement of Grumpy Cat’s death was posted on social media, where she has a huge following including 2.5 million on Instagram, 1.52 million on Twitter, and 8.5 million on Facebook.
Excerpt from the post reads as follows: “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.”
Grumpy Cat @realgrumpycat
May 17, 2019Some days are grumpier than others…
Cat lovers around the world mourned the loss of one of the world’s most lovable cats.
Grumpy Cat breed
Born to a calico mother and a blue-and-white tabby putative father, the mixed breed Grumpy Cat was originally named Tardar Sauce. She was nicknamed “Grumpy” for her permanently “grumpy” face, which was apparently caused by an underbite and feline dwarfism.
The Story Behind Grumpy Cat’s celebrity status
Grumpy Cat became a celebrity when a photo of her was posted on September 22, 2012 on Reddit by Bryan Bundesen, who is the brother of Tabatha. Grumpy Cat memes, parodies, and lolcats using that photograph went viral.
When Grumpy Cat became famous, Tabatha resigned from being a waitress to manage Grumpy Cat’s busy schedule while her brother Bryan took care of the Grumpy Cat website, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts.
A video of Grumpy Cat posted on YouTube the following day also went viral, and now has more than 3 million views. A video posted on September 25, 2012 now has over 21 million views and counting.
The Original Grumpy Cat!
[ref: Real Grumpy Cat]
And the rest as they say, is history.
Grumpy Cat Net Worth
Grumpy Cat has become a successful global brand. Grumpy Cat Limited has 8 trademarks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Almost 900 items are available on its online shop.
Aside from merchandise, Grumpy Cat has been featured in advertisements and has several bestselling books written about her. Her YouTube channel boasts of 265 thousand subscribers and a total of more than 39 million views.
Grumpy Cat video games and apps are also available online. She even starred in a TV movie titled “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever,” which had more than 1.7 million viewers when it aired in 2014 on American pay TV channel Lifetime. She also appeared in a documentary titled “Lil Bub & Friendz”, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013.
Grumpy Cat’s net worth, her brand that is, has not been disclosed, but online estimates range between USD 1 million to USD 100 million. Bryan Bundesen revealed what they earned from Grumpy Cat to “low six figures” in May 2013, during the early part of Grumpy Cat’s career.
Now that Grumpy Cat has passed away, her memory will live on in the merchandise, digital products, books, videos, and films where fans can still see her iconic face.
R.I.P., Grumpy Cat, the world will miss you.
