9 Things You Did Not Know about Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat is arguably the most famous cat in the entire country – maybe even the world. This is a cat that has reached levels of fame no other animal in the world has achieved a less than 3 years of age. In fact, the only other animal with even close to as much fame as this permanently sour-looking cat is Bo; the dog that belongs to the Obamas (perhaps you know him as Bobama). And even Bo isn’t all that famous. He had his 15 minutes when the first family brought him home, but that was about it. Sure, he’s cute; but he’s not Grumpy Cat. With thousands of hilarious memes, a face you simply cannot forget and a story that will make you stop and wonder how you still aren’t famous, this is a cat that’s going to stick with you forever. And not just because you have a mug with his face on it. And the calendar. But just in case you aren’t too familiar with Grumpy Cat, we have a few little facts you might not really be aware of about the world’s most famous mean-looking cat.
Grumpy Cat is a Girl
Most people assume that any animal with a mean mug like this one must be a boy. But she is a girl; Grumpy cat is a female. Her real name is Tardar Sauce and she’s a girl just like any other girl in the world but she has a condition referred to as feline dwarfism that causes her face to look permanently mean, even though her owners say she is a very sweet cat.
She Travels First Class
She’s a cat used to the finer things in life. This cat is flown first class on a regular basis for things that are considered business. For example, Friskies decided that Grumpy Cat needed to meet with the company for business purposes and flew her first class on (you guessed it) Southwest Airlines. And when they arrived at their final destination, the company decided to pick up the cat in a chauffeured car and provided her with a personal assistant and all the food she could ever want.
She Waddles
Feline dwarfism does not affect only the face of a cat. It affects several other aspects of cats, and that’s why this particular little cat waddles. Her little legs make it impossible for her to walk correctly so she always appears to be waddling as she makes her way around the world making public appearances. However, you won’t notice it much since her owner is usually holding onto her and she’s not in any place she can walk.
She’s Not an Only Child
Tardar Sauce has a brother named Pokey. He also suffers (is that accurate?) from feline dwarfism and has the same grumpy look as his sister. However, despite the fact that he is famous by association, Pokey is not as famous as his sister. This might bother him, too, because it’s been said that while Grumpy Cat is actually a very happy, playful and loving cat, it’s Pokey that is really mean and grumpy. He is not a happy cat and it might be because he doesn’t like all the attention his sister is getting from the media.
She’s Trademarked
People trademark a lot of things in life, and it’s for a good cause most of the time. Did you even know it’s possible to trademark a cat? Well, you can. You can actually trademark a face on a feline, as the owners of Grumpy Cat did when she was not quite a year old. In January 2013, she was trademarked. Specifically, her face and her name were trademarked and people are not allowed to use them for anything else as it is now illegal.
She Loves Starbucks
As a true American, this does not come as a shock to anyone. Why wouldn’t this cat like Starbucks? Everyone likes Starbucks. She might not drink the coffee (it might stunt her growth…no really, I had to go there) but she does love the coffee cake. Actually, we all love the coffee cake at Starbucks. We just don’t love the calories you find in the coffee cake.
She’s Not Photoshopped
Many people believed that the cute face on this cat was something that was photoshopped and it took a while for the general public to believe that it was not a photoshopped deal. Her face is real, and people love her. It took a while, and plenty of photo shoots for people to realize that her face actually looks like this. And despite the number of photos floating around the internet and the world, she’s only photographed once per week professionally as her parents don’t want to her become overwhelmed and lead a life that’s not normal for a cat.
She’s Lazy
Okay, so she’s not lazy; she’s a cat. Tardar Sauce’s owner says she is a cat who loves her sleep, most specifically when it is on her back. She loves to sleep on her back because that is how she is most comfortable. We can’t say we disagree with the fact that back sleeping is comfortable. Like any other cat, most of her time is spent lounging around the house not particularly doing anything but napping. Some call it lazy, others call it the life of a feline.
She’s Been Famous Since She was 5 Months
Tardar Sauce is not an old cat. She was born April 4, 2012 and she became famous in September 2012. She was just over 5-months-old when her photo was posted to a Reddit account her owner’s brother has and she became a star almost overnight thanks to her adorable little grumpy face and her sweet disposition. People immediately fell in love with the cat and began making memes and creating funny photos that circulated the internet at rapid speed. She was a star overnight it seems, and her star is shining brighter than ever just two years after she first became famous.
Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for Civic Entertainment Group