Arts & Culture

Internet mourns as Grumpy Cat dies

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 17, 2019
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Grumpy Cat is dead at 7. A confirmation that being happy leads to a longer life. Or maybe not.

We don’t really know if Grumpy Cat, whose visage spoke for us every Monday morning and during the dark times, was grumpy. The family says Grumpy Cat loved belly rubs.

Whatever. A urinary tract infection doesn’t care what mood a cat is in.

“Some days are grumpier than others,” Grumpy Cat’s twitter account said in announcing the passing.

Grumpy Cat was the look of contempt, the New York Times said.

Many cats have had moments of mini-fame on the internet, but few, if any, have had the reach and staying power of Grumpy Cat. She first rose to prominence six years ago, after her owner posted a photo to Reddit, captioned “Meet grumpy cat.”

The sourpuss with the piercing look of contempt quickly became a meme, and placing bold words above and below her frown became a common way for humans to express grumpy thoughts.

Perhaps the most famous: “I had fun once. It was awful.”

Grumpy Cat beat “Gangnam Style” and “Harlem Shake” for Meme of the Year in 2013.

Grumpy Cat is survived by a family that made a ton of money off its feline dwarfism.