Is this Cat from Taiwan the Next Grumpy Cat?

Last year the world mourned the passing of Tardar Sauce the cat. For those who don’t know who Tardar Sauce is, she was a feline with furrowed brows that made her look grumpy all the time. Her brows and features earned Tardar Sauce the nickname Grumpy Cat, by internet users who fell in love with her at first sight. According to News Week, people at first thought that Tardar’s facial features were as a result of Photoshop and image doctoring but her parents took to YouTube to show the world that indeed their kitty was grump faced. Grumpy Cat became an instant sensation and was used even in memes to express how people feel because the internet thought she was a whole mood by itself. Grumpy Cat was petite in size and this can be attributed to feline dwarfism which also caused her to have her infamous sour expression. Grumpy Cat’s death sent online users into a sad state as her owner announced her passing in a grim post that read “some days are grumpier than others.” Tardar’s cause of death was as a result of complications from a urinary tract infection and she died in Tabatha Bundesen (her owner’s) arms.

Almost a year later and it seems the world has found itself a new grumpy cat. While there’s no denying that Tardar was special and unique and no cat can ever replace her, this new Grumpy Cat seems to bring in her own grumpy vibe and everyone is fascinated. Meow Meow, as she is called, is a fluffy cat that lives in Taiwan and bears an uncanny resemblance to Tardar Sauce so much so that even their eyes are of the same color, blue. Not only that, placing the two cats side by side you’d think they are twins due to the whole mood and adorability they bring out. Some internet users seem to think that Meow Meow is much grumpier than Tardar Sauce as the former has perfected her permanent frown and is a master at hiding her positive emotions. Other fans of Tardar Sauce felt inclined towards Meow Meow as they couldn’t help but notice the resemblance. Both the cats had a downturned lip that further solidified their frown, are fluffy and have hooded eyes which make them look either angry or bored.

Meow Meow actually has a wonderful story to her existence and it is heartwarming, to say the least. Meow Meow was once diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism which if left untreated can be deadly to cats. Her medication involved getting Radioactive Iodine Therapy. The vet had advised Clare that although fatal, Meow Meow could live up to a maximum of 2 years more if her condition was left untreated. Clare could have none of it. She said that it was a difficult time for her and her kitty because they were constantly in and out of animal hospitals. She was given treatments and medications to help stabilize her condition and she was eventually given the go-ahead to travel to the US by the Oregon Veterinary Specialty Hospital to seek further treatment for her pet. Clare quit her job and took up a mortgage loan on their house and the duo flew to the US. Meow Meow spent close to a month in Oregon where she was placed in quarantine and received treatment.

She made a full recovery and they went back to Taiwan where she wakes up her mother every day with paw massages. Clare describes her angry-looking cat as an actual sweetheart and tells people not to be fooled by her appearance because she is really sweet. She says that Meow Meow has a gentle temperament that is not easy to detect in pictures and every time she tries to snap a photo of her kitty, Meow Meow gives her a gentle and cute look that melts her heart. Clare says she has ever dressed up Meow Meow as a princess and she gushed that she looked so cute and royal in the dress and everyone who saw Meow Meow in it said that she looked more like a queen than a princess. According to the Daily Mail, Clare found Meow Meow when she was 10 months old in an animal shelter and fell in love with her right away. She said that her kitty displayed a certain elegance and grace that she had to adopt her right away.

One interesting fact though is that Meow Meow is older than Tardar Sauce which makes us wonder as to who really is the original Grumpy Cat. Regardless of age, they have both managed to get everyone’s attention in equal measure. Meow Meow now has her own Instagram account where her human posts regular updates and cute pictures and videos of her being her grumpy self. She has only been on Instagram in less than a week and already has over 2000 followers. Her first post on the platform talked about how she kept cool during the hyperthyroid treatments and still maintained her elegance. She has also so far complained about the weather and has stated that she is not a big fan of humidity. Clare, Meow Meow’s parent has stated that her kitty looks like batman due to the dark markings around her eyes. She added that her pet is a picky eater and her favorite pastime is watching birds. Meow Meow gained fame when Clare accidentally took a photo of her while trying to promote her friend’s cool restaurant.

She snapped a few photos of the joint and posted them to Imgur.com and soon her post was flaring up with comments. Those comments, however, weren’t about how beautiful the restaurant was but how grumpy yet adorable her cat was. Ever since Tardar Sauce died, people had been trying to find her replacement and it seems that Meow Meow fits the description in every aspect. Meow Meow is unsure of how to think of her newly found fame but according to Clare, she is handling it gracefully.