# Grumpy Cat > Grumpy Cat is a 2012 image-macro meme featuring Tardar Sauce, an Arizona cat with a permanently scowling face, paired with cynical, deadpan captions. Grumpy Cat is the internet nickname for Tardar Sauce, a mixed-breed cat from Arizona whose permanently scowling face made her one of the most famous animals on the internet. First posted to Reddit in September 2012, her photos spawned thousands of image macros with cynical, deadpan captions and built a merchandising empire worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing deals. Tardar Sauce died in May 2019 at age seven, but her grumpy face is still one of the most recognizable meme images ever created. ## Origin Tardar Sauce was born on April 4, 2012, in Morristown, Arizona, to owner Tabatha Bundesen[3]. She was part of a litter of four, born to a calico mother and a blue-and-white tabby father. Both Tardar Sauce and her brother Pokey were born with flat faces, large eyes, and short tails, though only Tardar Sauce had the signature frown[3]. Her owners said the expression came from feline dwarfism and an underbite, not from actually being unhappy. "Ninety-nine percent of the time she is just a regular cat," the Bundesens said[3]. On September 22, 2012, Tabatha's brother Bryan Bundesen posted photos of the cat to Reddit's r/pics subreddit[2]. The post hit the front page within hours, pulling in more than 25,300 upvotes in the first 24 hours[2]. Some commenters thought the photos were digitally altered, so Bryan posted follow-up videos on YouTube the same day to prove the cat actually looked like that[12]. The Imgur page for the original photos hit 1,030,000 views within 48 hours[2]. The name "Grumpy Cat" wasn't entirely new. Earlier LOLcat series like "X is not amused" and "Serious Cat" had used similar-looking cats with scowling expressions[2]. But Tardar Sauce's face was on another level, and the name stuck permanently. - **Platform:** Reddit - **Creator:** Bryan Bundesen (original poster), Tabatha Bundesen (owner) - **Date:** 2012 ## Overview Grumpy Cat image macros feature photographs of Tardar Sauce, a small cat with an underbite and feline dwarfism that gave her a permanently displeased expression[3]. The typical format places bold white text above and below a photo of the cat, delivering some kind of cynical, negative, or dismissive punchline from the cat's point of view. The most iconic caption is "I had fun once. It was awful"[11]. What made Grumpy Cat work as a meme was simplicity. The cat's face needed no explanation. She looked miserable, and people projected their own grumpiest thoughts onto that expression. Unlike many memes that require context, Grumpy Cat was instantly readable to anyone who saw it[8]. ## How It Spread Reddit users started photoshopping the original image and captioning it almost immediately after Bryan's post went live[2]. Within 48 hours, more than 300 Grumpy Cat posts hit Reddit and over 100 image macros appeared on Quickmeme[2]. BuzzFeed picked up the images the same day as the original post, running them under the title "This Cat Is Not Impressed"[1]. By September 24-25, 2012, Grumpy Cat had spread across The Daily What, Paw Nation, The Meta Picture, Eat Liver, UpRoxx, The Huffington Post, and FunnyJunk[2]. People started comparing Tardar Sauce's expression to fictional characters known for their stern faces, like Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation and Dwight Schrute from The Office[2]. The Bundesen family moved fast to build infrastructure around their newly famous cat. Grumpycats.com launched on September 27, 2012, as the official homepage[2]. An official Twitter account, @RealGrumpyCat, went live on October 3rd[2]. The Tumblr tag #grumpy cat filled up with image macros and fan art[2]. By early 2013, Grumpy Cat was making real-world appearances. At South by Southwest Interactive in March 2013, fans stood in line for hours to take photos with the cat, while Tardar Sauce mostly ignored them[12]. CNN called her the festival's biggest star[12]. She appeared on Good Morning America, Anderson Live, and did a photo shoot with Time magazine on March 22, 2013[3]. The meme won Meme of the Year at the 2013 Webby Awards, beating out Gangnam Style and Harlem Shake[11]. MSNBC named her the most influential cat of 2012, and Mashable listed her among the most important memes of 2012[5]. ## How to Use The Grumpy Cat format uses deadpan dismissal humor. The cat's permanently displeased face does most of the heavy lifting, so you do not need complex jokes. 1. Find a Grumpy Cat photo or use a meme generator template 2. Write a top line that sets up a cheerful, optimistic, or enthusiastic situation 3. Write a bottom line that delivers a flat rejection or cynical observation ('No.', 'It was awful.', etc.) 4. Use bold white Impact-font text in the classic image macro style 5. Share it — the format works especially well for holidays, seasonal greetings, and motivational quotes turned miserable ## Cultural Impact Grumpy Cat crossed over from internet joke to mainstream celebrity faster than almost any meme animal before her. She appeared on Today, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, Anderson Cooper Live, VH1 Morning Buzz, and The Soup[5]. New York Magazine put her on the cover[11]. Madame Tussauds in San Francisco made a wax figure of her in 2015[3]. The commercial machine around Grumpy Cat was massive. Sponsorship deals with Friskies, partnerships with major retailers, multiple best-selling books, a Lifetime movie, a comic book series, and over 1,000 licensed products all grew from a single Reddit post[3]. Estimates of Grumpy Cat's total earnings varied wildly. A 2014 report claimed $100 million, though Tabatha Bundesen disputed that figure[11]. The 2018 copyright lawsuit against Grenade Beverage set a legal precedent for how meme-based intellectual property could be defended in court. The $710,000 jury award showed that internet-famous animals could generate enforceable commercial rights[8]. Grumpy Cat also inspired other artists and creators. The Lowe Mill art project in Alabama brought together 30 artists to create original works inspired by the meme, with pieces ranging from paintings to sculptures to chain mail art[7]. ## Fun Facts - Tardar Sauce's name is frequently misspelled as "Tartar Sauce." Urban Dictionary entries can't agree on the spelling either[4]. - Despite looking perpetually miserable, her owners said she was "a super cute and cuddly kitty" who loved being held and rubbed[11]. - Her brother Pokey, born from the same litter with similar features, co-starred in the Dynamite comic book series but never achieved the same solo fame[3]. - At SXSW 2013, Grumpy Cat received more social media mentions in four days than any other person or brand at the festival[5]. - She is buried at Sunland Pet Rest Cemetery in Sun City, Arizona[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Grumpy Cat? Grumpy Cat is the internet nickname for Tardar Sauce, a cat from Arizona whose feline dwarfism and underbite gave her a permanently scowling expression. Her photos became one of the biggest image macro memes of the 2010s[3]. ### Where did Grumpy Cat come from? Bryan Bundesen posted photos of his sister's cat to Reddit's r/pics on September 22, 2012. The post hit the front page and racked up over 25,300 upvotes in 24 hours[2]. ### What does Grumpy Cat mean? Grumpy Cat memes express cynicism, dismissal, and deadpan negativity. The cat's face is paired with blunt rejections or pessimistic observations, often responding to cheerful situations with a flat "No"[4]. ### How do you use Grumpy Cat? Place bold text over a photo of Tardar Sauce. The top line sets up something positive or enthusiastic, and the bottom line delivers a grumpy rejection or cynical twist[2]. ### Is Grumpy Cat still popular? Tardar Sauce died on May 14, 2019, from complications of a urinary tract infection[8]. The meme peaked between 2012 and 2015 but her images still circulate as reaction images. At the time of her death she had 8.5 million Facebook likes and 2.4 million Instagram followers[12]. ### Who owned Grumpy Cat? Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Arizona owned Tardar Sauce. Tabatha quit her job at Red Lobster to manage the cat's career full-time, while her brother Bryan managed the website and social accounts[8]. ### Was Grumpy Cat actually grumpy? No. Her owners said her expression was caused by feline dwarfism and an underbite, not mood. They described her as cuddly and affectionate[3]. ### How much money did Grumpy Cat make? Exact figures are disputed. A 2014 report claimed $100 million, but Tabatha Bundesen denied that figure[11]. In 2018, the family won $710,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit against Grenade Beverage[8]. ### What breed was Grumpy Cat? Tardar Sauce was a mixed breed. Her owners described her parents as "normal-sized domestic short-hair cats," though her specific mix was never confirmed[3]. ### Did Grumpy Cat have a movie? Yes. Lifetime produced *Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever* in 2014, with Aubrey Plaza voicing the cat[8]. A bigger Garfield-style theatrical film was optioned by Broken Road Productions in 2013 but never produced[5]. ### What happened to Grumpy Cat? Tardar Sauce died at home on May 14, 2019, at age seven, from complications of a urinary tract infection. Her family announced the death on May 17[12]. ### Who managed Grumpy Cat's career? Ben Lashes, a professional "meme manager" who also represented Keyboard Cat and Nyan Cat, managed the brand alongside the Bundesen family[3]. ## References 1. [Is Grumpy Grandma the New Grumpy Cat? | Mashable]() 2. [This Cat Is Not Impressed]() 3. [Grumpy Grandma Is Grumpy - Photobombs - photobomb that guy]() 4. [Grumpy Cat - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Grumpy Cat]() 6. [Grumpy Cat - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [The Daily What - Grumpy Cat - Daily Trending Internet Culture - Daily Dose of WHAT? - Cheezburger]() 8. [Grumpy Cat Gets Garfield-Like Movie Deal]() 9. [Is Grumpy Grandma the New Grumpy Cat? | Mashable]() 10. [Official Merchandise | Grumpy Cat®]() 11. [Official Grumpy Cat Merchandise on Zazzle: Designs & Collections on Zazzle]() 12. [The world’s grumpiest cat! | Grumpy Cat®]() 13. [Grumpy Cat inspires Lowe Mill artists' own creations of grumpiness - al.com]() 14. [Grumpy Cat internet legend dies]() 15. [Viral – UPROXX]() 16. [Art of the Day: Grumpy Cat Now Has Her Own Comic Book Series - The Daily What]() 17. [Baby Gibbon Plays With Grumpy Cat (VIDEO) | HuffPost UK Environment]() 18. [Grumppuccino | Drink Grumpy Cat | DrinkGrumpCat.com – Products]() 19. [Grumpy Cat, Internet Celebrity With a Piercing Look of Contempt, Is Dead at 7 - The New York Times]() 20. [Search - Urban Outfitters]() 21. [Grumpy Cat, the internet’s most famous cat, dead at 7 | CNN]() 22. [Friskies - The news is out… Grumpy Cat will be a part of... | Facebook]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/grumpy-cat Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library