Internet meme Grumpy Cat dies aged seven

Grumpy Cat, the famous animal which inspired thousands of internet memes, has died aged seven. Credit: PA

Grumpy Cat, the famous animal which inspired thousands of internet memes, has died aged seven.

In a statement posted on Twitter, her owners said the animal died on Tuesday following complications from a urinary tract infection.

Tabatha, Bryan and Chrytal, the pet's owners, said that she made "millions of people smile around the world - even when times are tough".

The famous feline, who had more than 2.4m followers on Instagram and 1.5m followers on Twitter, passed away "at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha".

The statement released on Friday said: "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."

Grumpy cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, went viral after photographs of her expressions were shared online in 2012.

The cat's photograph inspired dozens of internet memes are remains one of the most instantly recognisable sights online.

Her features are said to have been caused by feline dwarfism, her owner Tabitha Bundesen previously said.

Grumpy Cat had travelled the world following her online popularity, even starring in her own Christmas film in 2014.

Madame Tussauds honoured the kitty, unveiling a waxwork of her in 2015.

Grumpy Cat poses with owner Tabitha Bundesen. Credit: AP

Her owners won a 710,000 (£555,000) payout in a copyright lawsuit in 2018.

Ben Lashes, the pet's manager, described her as a "seven figure cat", estimating that Grumpy Cat had earned around $100m (£78,361,500) in revenue for her owners.