Social media sensation Grumpy Cat has died aged 7

"Some days are grumpier than others..."

Social media sensation Grumpy Cat has died aged seven, her owners have announced. The feline, who was also known as Tardar Sauce, passed away on May 14 "at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha." The statement read:

“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. “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.”

Tardar first shot to fame back in 2012, when Tabatha's brother posted a photo of her permanently grumpy face on Reddit. She has more than 2.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million followers on Twitter. And while the feline became recognisable across the globe (she even had her own Christmas movie), her owners stressed that she still led a normal life. Explaining on her website, they said:

"We take great care of Tardar Sauce; 99 per cent of the time she is a normal kitty. She plays, hides, and acts as cats act. (She LOVES to hide behind the curtains!) "She isn't in front of a camera all of the time like many people perceive. "We only take photos sets once every week or so and on the few occasions where we have met with the media or licensed partners we ensure the sessions are short and that she isn't handled by many people. "Tardar Sauce is a member of the family before anything else!"