The world's crankiest cat with a permanent scowl that has inspired countless memes, a best-selling series of books and a movie has passed away, aged seven.
Grumpy Cat, owned by Tabatha Bundesen from Morristown, Arizona shot to fame in 2012 in a YouTube video that got 15.7 million views, and earned more than Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Matthew McConaughey during her time in the spotlight.
Even amassing a reported $100M fortune was not enough to put a smile on the face of the internet sensation – real name Tardar Sauce - who was born with dwarfism and an underbite, giving her a disgruntled expression.
Her family took to Instagram this morning to announce the news that she'd died on Tuesday from a urinary tract infection, saying: 'Some days are grumpier than others'.
Heartbroken fans have rushed to pay tribute to the much-loved pet online, with one summing up the feelings of many by writing: 'We are all a bit of you.'
A statement released by Grumpy Cat's owners read: ‘We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat.
‘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.
‘She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha.
‘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 shot to fame after her picture was posted to Reddit in 2012, and within two days of her first appearance on social media, her owner was able to quit her job as a waitress and the phone 'never stopped ringing'.
At the time of her death she had 2.4m followers on Instagram,
Her first book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book, was a guide to attaining 'true grumpiness' from the self-appointed 'master of bad attitude'.
Helpful tips included eating ice cream cones to get incurable brain freezes and reminding yourself that a kiss carries more germs than 100 toilet seats.
The follow-up, The Grumpy Guide To Life: Observations By Grumpy Cat, advises that 'It's always good to have a partner in crime - you need someone to blame when people start asking questions'.
She was the 'spokescat' for a Friskies brand of cat food and even had her own brand of iced coffee, Grumppuccino.
Her Hollywood debut, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever, attracted millions of viewers and was the most tweeted about film on its release date.
