LOS ANGELES: Internet star “Grumpy Cat” has died at the age of seven, her owners said early Friday.
“We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat,” they said in a statement on Twitter.
The famous feline, whose frowning visage endeared her to millions of fans across social media and saw her photographed with celebrities including Stan Lee and Jennifer Lopez, passed away Tuesday “in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha” at her home in Arizona.
“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,” they 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. Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere.”
Hundreds of fans posted messages of condolences on social media.
“Rest in peace, darling. Your scowl toward me was one of the best moments of my life,” Hollie-Ann Brooks posted on Twitter.
The mixed-breed cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, found fame when a photo of her as a kitten was posted on Reddit in September 2012, her website says.
“Her petite size and famous face is likely due to feline dwarfism and her rear end wobbles a bit when she walks due to this; otherwise she is a perfect little kitty!“
Despite her permanent frown, she was “super cute and cuddly.”
Grumpy Cat has 8.5 million fans on Facebook, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on Twitter.
Internet star Grumpy Cat dies at age of seven
Internet star Grumpy Cat dies at age of seven
- The famous feline, whose frowning visage endeared her to millions of fans across social media and saw her photographed with celebrities including Stan Lee and Jennifer Lopez, passed away Tuesday
- Grumpy Cat has 8.5 million fans on Facebook, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on Twitter
Vietnam police find frozen tiger bodies, arrest two men
Vietnamese police have found two dead tigers inside freezers in a man’s basement, arresting him and another for illicit trade in the endangered animal, the force said Saturday.
The Southeast Asian country is a consumption hub and popular trading route for illegal animal products, including tiger bones which are used in traditional medicine.
Police in Thanh Hoa province, south of the capital Hanoi, said they had found the frozen bodies ot two adult tigers, weighing about 400 kilograms (882 pounds) in total, in the basement of 52-year-old man Hoang Dinh Dat.
In a statement posted online, police said the man told officers he had bought the animals for two billion dong ($77,000), identifying the seller as 31-year-old Nguyen Doan Son.
Both had been arrested earlier this week, police said.
According to the statement, the buyer had equipment to produce so-called tiger bone glue, a sticky substance believed to heal skeletal ailments.
Tigers used to roam Vietnam’s forests, but have now disappeared almost entirely.
