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Internet sensation Grumpy Cat dies at age 7 and netizens mourn: 'Her spirit will live through her fans'

Tardar Sauce, aka Grumpy Cat, has passed away from complications of urinary tract infection, her owners have confirmed. The internet will miss its most beloved citizen

It's a sad day for the internet today. Tardar Sauce, who most will recognize as Grumpy Cat, has died. She was just seven years old.

According to a release by the official Grumpy Cat page, Tardar Sauce died after encountering complications from a recent urinary tract infection that eventually proved fatal despite "care from top professionals and a very loving family".

"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile around the world — even when times are tough," the release announced. "Her spirit will continue to live through her fans everywhere."

Tardar Sauce first came to prominence after Bryan Bundesen, the brother of her owner Tabatha Bundesen, posted a photograph of her on social media website Reddit in September 2012, and parodies created of her grumpy face by users went viral.

She soon became the subject of a meme called 'Grumpy Cat', where negative, cynical images were made from photographs of her, and she soon became one of the most instantly recognizable faces on the internet.

Her popularity saw her traveling the world and making appearances on the likes of NBC News' 'Today' show, 'Good Morning America,' 'American Idol', the season finale of 'The Bachelorette', and even a television commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios.

She was also the subject of a book 'Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book', which released in 2013, and even went on to star in her own Christmas film titled 'Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever' which debuted in November 2014.

Tabatha Bundsen later revealed that her cat's unique facial expression was one born out of an underbite — a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches when they approach each other as the jaws close — and the feline dwarfism she suffered from, though it's not surprising she never complained.

Her brother had indicated as far back as 2013 that Tardar Sauce had earned them income in the "mid-five figures," which later increased to "low-six-figures." By August 2018, some estimates put Grumpy Cat brand's net worth at anywhere between $1,000,000 and $100,000,000.

Her passing has the internet in mourning, with thousands pouring in with tributes and memes in honor of the fallen feline.