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Long Live Grumpy Cat: Remembering The Internet's Favorite Feline

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Some days are grumpier than others. So read a tweet this morning announcing the passing of Grumpy Cat. The famous feline with a perma-frown underbite took the Internet by storm in 2012.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Actually named Tardar Sauce, the cat became a sensation after her scowling face was posted online.

SHAPIRO: Her grouchy look was perfect for a meme, and soon she was everywhere, with bold text framing her frown. For example, quote, "I purred once. It was awful."

CORNISH: A little bird told me it's your birthday. So I ate it.

SHAPIRO: And the classic - a simple, all caps, nope.

CORNISH: Within a year, Grumpy Cat was the spokes-cat for Friskies cat food, had a bestselling book and was named meme of the year at the Webby Awards.

(SOUNDBITE OF 2017 WEBBY AWARDS)

PATTON OSWALT: The winner, by a landslide, was - aw, Grumpy Cat. Grumpy Cat.

SHAPIRO: (Laughter) She went on to star in a Lifetime movie.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever."

SHAPIRO: And President Obama even compared her to Republican lawmakers at the time.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BARACK OBAMA: They're gloomy.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: They're like Grumpy Cat.

(LAUGHTER)

CORNISH: Grumpy Cat's family guessed her look was due to feline dwarfism and insisted she lived a normal, happy kitty life outside the spotlight.

SHAPIRO: She died from complications of a urinary tract infection. Grumpy Cat was 7. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.