Grumpy Cat, famous on the Internet dies at a little over seven years old

Grumpy Cat who was famous on the Internet, died this week of complications from a urinary tract infection. She was just a little more than seven years old.

Grumpy's owners announced Grumpy's death on social media with a post that celebrated her unique disposition that "helped millions of people smile around the world". The cat's real name as opposed to her nickname was Tardar Sauce.

Grumpy's rise to fame

When Grumpy was just five months old a Reddit post showing Grumpy in 2012 went viral. Grumpy quickly became a meme with image macros being put on top of the viral photo that played on her remarkably displeased look. Grumpy's owners say that the perpetually displeased look and small size are because Grumpy has feline dwarfism.

Feline Dwarfism

Wikipedia describes feline dwarfism under the heading "Dwarf Cats": "A dwarf cat is any domestic cat which has the condition of dwarfism due to a genetic mutation. Unlike undersized cats of normal proportions, dwarf cats display symptoms of osteochondrodysplasia—genetic disorders of bone and cartilage, typically manifested as noticeably short legs.[1] Since the mid-twentieth century, cat breeds with embedded dwarfism have been developed for commercial sale. The ethics of their selective breeding is hotly debated, and many countries prohibit it as cruelty to animals." In the US especially special breeds have been developed but they will not be listed in many countries where the breeding of them is regarded a cruelty to animals.

Many think the dwarf cats cute but their condition is a genetic mutation that comes with health issues. There are three types of dwarfism that are discussed in this article.

Among famous Internet cats Grumpy is unique

For most cats it is a specific image or video that makes them famous. KeyBoard Cat is a good example.

But the look which made Grumpy a meme she carried everywhere and could be repeated in every image.

The commercialization of Grumpy

As often happens with memes, entrepreneurs attempt to commercialize them for profit. Grumpy was no exception. Not only was Grumpy interviewed on talk shows but also was featured in promotion of Cheerios and Friskies.

There was even a movie, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever. The movie earned a very critical review in Verge: "This spectacle is about as absurd as it is sad. ..Can any of us honestly imagine life being anything other than grump-inducing for Grumpy Cat at this point? Isn't it possible that we're in fact making her grumpy by this unnecessary adulation? When will we stop allowing this cat to be trotted around like a circus act? When will the cash grabs cease? Is there literally no other animal we can passively make memes of? The party's over. It's time to let Grumpy Cat just be a cat."

There was much Grumpy Cat branded merchandise. The corporate owner of the brand sued a merchandise partner for an unauthorized Grumpy Cat coffee winning $710,000. Apparently grumpiness pays even when it is not real.

Previously published in the Digital Journal