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“Some days,” began the tweet, “are grumpier than others.” And today is one of those days.
Grumpy Cat, the Internet’s most famous feline, has passed away at age 7, her official Twitter account wrote to its 1.5 million followers today.
“Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome,” read a statement from her family. “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 cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world—even when times were tough,” the note continued. “Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere.”
Though her real name is Tardar Sauce, she earned the notorious moniker in 2012 when a photo of her scowl was posted to Reddit. (Her small size and frown were likely due to feline dwarfism, her family later revealed.)
Endless memes—and success—followed. In addition to nabbing MSNBC’s Most Influential Cat Award, she also scored campaigns with Purina and Cheerios. She had guest spots on Today, Good Morning America, American Idol, Sesame Street and even The Bachelorette.
Her sourpuss inspired two books Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book and The Grumpy Guide to Life: Observations by Grumpy, plus the comic following her and her brother, The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat and Pokey. And in 2014, she starred in Lifetime’s Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.
RIP Grumpy Cat, you will be so missed.