The cat behind the world-famous “Grumpy Cat” meme died Tuesday morning at age 7.
The mixed-breed, whose real name is Tardar Sauce “passed away peacefully at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha,” the famous feline’s owners said in a statement.
Grumpy Cat had “encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome,” the statement read.
“We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat,” wrote Tabatha, Bryan and Chrystal Bundesen, adding that the cat had “helped millions of people smile all around the world — even when times were tough.”
Grumpy Cat rose to fame in 2012 when a photo of her permanent scowl went viral.
After her debut, the cat made many media appearances, typically accompanied by her owner, Tabatha.
She quickly amassed a large following on social media and had 8.5 million Facebook fans, 2.4 million on Instagram, 1.5 million on Twitter and 264,000 YouTube subscribers before her death.
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