Grumpy Cat
Tardar Sauce — the frowning cat whose permanent scowl became one of the defining animal memes and merchandising empires of the 2010s.
Photos and captions of Grumpy Cat (Tardar Sauce) used to deliver deadpan negativity, rejection, or 'no' energy — 'I had fun once… it was awful' style humor built around her downturned mouth and scowling eyes.
History
Tardar Sauce was born in 2012 with a feline dwarfism-related appearance that gave her a perpetual frown. Owner Tabatha Bundesen's brother posted photos to Reddit in September 2012; within days the cat was known across Reddit and imageboards as 'Grumpy Cat,' spawning image macros, a book, a movie, and a large merchandising brand.
Cultural scores
Editorial estimates of cultural weight — Current Popularity tracks how much people are posting about this now, not historical fame.
Current Popularity = how actively people are posting about this today. Influence = lasting footprint. Cringe = online reception. Brainrot = absurdist energy. Scores last reviewed 2026-07-25. How scoring works
Timeline
Sep 2012
Photos of Tardar Sauce posted to Reddit — Grumpy Cat goes viral
2013–2016
Merch empire, Friskies ads, books, and a Lifetime movie expand the brand
May 2019
Tardar Sauce dies; tributes recirculate classic Grumpy Cat images
Examples
- “Monday morning mood [Grumpy Cat]”
- “I had fun once. It was awful.”
- “No. Just no. [Grumpy Cat stare]”
Media
Related entries
Culturally linked — not random recommendations.
Keyboard Cat
MemeA cat in a blue shirt playing keyboard — used to 'play off' blunders, falls, and awkward moments.
![Nyan Cat! [Official] — NyanCat channel thumbnail (2011)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2yJgwwDcgV8/hqdefault.jpg)
Nyan Cat
MemeA pixelated cat with a Pop-Tart body flying through space leaving a rainbow trail — pure early-internet whimsy.
Doge
MemeThe iconic Shiba Inu meme that defined an era — 'such wow, very internet' — and eventually inspired a cryptocurrency.
Side Eyeing Chloe
MemeThe concerned side-eye toddler — Side Eye Chloe — Photoshop's default 'I heard that' face.
Ceiling Cat
MemeThe cat peeking through a ceiling hole — imageboard god of surveillance jokes and LOLcat theology.
Popcat
MemeOatmeal the cat's open-mouth pop — the clicker / GIF meme that became a national spam sport and Twitch emote energy.
References
Sources behind this entry. Prefer primary reporting and established culture archives over rumor.
- Grumpy Cat — Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org