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Tartar Sauce AKA Grumpy Cat Passed At Age 7

The celebrity cat Tartar Sauce aka “Grumpy Cat,” has died at age 7 from complications of an infection, the cat’s owner said.

“Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world — even when times were tough,” the family wrote on the official Grumpy Cat Twitter account. “Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere.”

Some famous Twitter accounts offered their condolences.

“Thank you, Grumpy Cat, for understanding @OscarTheGrouch like no one else can,” Sesame Street tweeted.

Grumpy Cat became an Internet sensation in 2012, when her owner shared a photo of her iconic scowl on Reddit. The cat’s real name is Tardar Sauce, and she lived in Arizona.

“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,'” The New York Times reports.

Grumpy Cat’s visage was named the Meme of the Year at the 2013 Webby Awards, beating out ‘Gangnam Style’ and ‘Harlem Shake.’ Many memes come and go, but her owner, Tabatha Bundesen, turned the cat’s face into the center of a thriving business.

Her likeness appeared on nearly 900 items in an official shop, she made a television advertisement for Honey Nut Cheerios, and she became the official ‘spokescat’ of Friskies, a cat food brand.

Grumpy Cat was such a viral success that he was on featured on the cover of New York magazine and starred in a Lifetime Christmas movie “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.” Grumpy Cat even published a book and hit No 7. on The New York Time’s advice, how-to and miscellaneous best-seller list.

Some estimates say the cat was worth $100 million, although Grumpy Cat’s owner disputes that claim.