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Grumpy Cat, whose frowny face sparked smiles and memes, has died

"Some days are grumpier than others." The angry-looking kitty from Arizona was 7.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane
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Grumpy Cat Visits The Broadway Cast of "Cats"

Meow meow -- Grumpy Cat died on Tuesday.

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Grumpy Cat, a feline whose perpetual scowl turned countless frowns upside-down, died Tuesday, her family said.

The 7-year-old meme-machine kitty from Arizona, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, encountered fatal complications after a urinary tract infection, a tweet entitled "Some days are grumpier than others" revealed Friday. She died peacefully in owner Tabatha Bundesen's arms.

"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 tribute reads. "Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere."

Grumpy Cat's sour-puss expression was the result of dwarfism and an underbite. She rose to fame in 2012 after Bundesen's brother Bryan uploaded a photo of her to Reddit, claiming a "best cat on the internet" award the following year and raking in money for her owner. She even inspired a 2014 Christmas movie.

Grumpy Cat as fine art (pictures)

See all photos

In 2015, Grumpy Cat was less than impressed at being honored at Madame Tussauds in San Francisco, and when President Barack Obama mimicked her as he described the Republican Party's outlook on America.

People took to Twitter, where Grumpy Cat had 1.5 million followers, to mourn her passing and to celebrate some choice memes she inspired.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill also paid tribute to Grumpy Cat, tweeting, "She was a part of all of us."

As of Friday, Grumpy Cat's Facebook page had more than 8.5 million likes, 2.4 million people followed her on Instagram and she had over 250,000 YouTube subscribers. 

Perhaps now she's reunited with late Marvel Legend Stan Lee, who shared her displeasure in 2015.

Watch this: CNET gets one-on-one time with the famed Grumpy Cat

Check out our sister sites CBS NewsEntertainment Tonight and iDaily for more tributes to Grumpy Cat.

First published at 3:23 a.m. PT.
Updated at 5:00 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.
Updated at 1:34 p.m. PT: Adds tweet from Mark Hamill.