Posted on 05/20/2019 5:47:26 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Grumpy Cat leaves behind a beloved legacy and a profitable business.
Feline celebrity Grumpy Cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, died this week due to complications from a urinary-tract infection, her owners shared Friday. The cat, who was seven years old, first rose to fame after a photo of her went viral on Reddit in 2012.
In the intervening years she has become one of the most recognizable animals in the world. As a result, she’s had marketing deals with companies ranging from Honey Nut Cheerios (GIS) and Friskies (NSRGY) cat food and starred in a television film where she was voiced by actress Aubrey Plaza. Her likeness was emblazoned on hundreds of products sold through her online shop, and she was a popular figure at fan conventions.
While her sour-puss appearance brought joy to millions of fans across the globe, her death will bring more than heartache for her owner, Tabatha Bundesen. It will also represent a major financial loss.
Pet life insurance exists, but it’s a rarely offered product and would be of little help to the owners of a famous pooch or kitty. It’s not designed to cover losses related to pets who double as income-generators for their owners.
“It’s going to be very hard,” said Loni Edwards, a lawyer and founder of The Dog Agency, a New York City-based management agency that represents pet influencers. “As these pet influencers die, there’s little you can do.” Bundesen remained tight-lipped about Grumpy Cat’s net worth over the years, aside from disputing reports that claimed the feline was worth $99.5 million.
Grumpy Cat’s owners, however, were awarded more than $700,000 after winning a lawsuit against a coffee company that breached a licensing agreement by using the cat’s likeness on more than one of its products.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
‘They’re living breathing creatures. The law has not caught up with their role in society and how we view them.’ Loni Edwards, founder of The Dog Agency
Hopefully the owner was smart enough to invest in her good fortune. She was making over $100,000 yr from marketing.
$100,000,000. Not $100,000. Allegedly.
MSN said the cat earned more than Cameron Diaz and other celebrities.
Oh oh.
You know the old saying,
“They go in threes.”
That means two more old sourpusses will be on their way to the big cat box in the sky.
I’m betting on Hillary Clinton and Joy Behar.
Grumpy Cat will probably scratch cat litter on them to cover them up.
I didn’t realize Grumpy Cat was female to begin with, and 7 years old isn’t all that long to live for a CAT - complications due to a UT infection?
There ARE obvious signs for that, if you’ve been a Cat Owner for more than ten minutes. (I’ve had NINE healthy and unhealthy cats through the years.)
And if GC’s owner didn’t invest that WINDFALL, she deserves to have to go out and GET A JOB like the rest of us. ;)
LOL! *Fingers Crossed* :)
The cats owners blew through the money like a NFL player?
Or a boxer?
ouch
lol
Grumpy cat becomes grumpy owner...
She was a “tiny” cat (dwarf ?) and it was apparent she had some health problems. Sadly, that meant lil Tardar Sauce wasn’t going to have a normal cat lifespan. :-(
“...Pet life insurance exists, ..,”
I wonder if the money grubbers had any?
The cat was born with multiple birth defects.
Could explain why the cat was so grumpy.
Tabatha Bundeson, it was an unplanned ride on a gravy train, and you rode it to the last stop. Time to get off.
CC
Sometimes, even the best of vet care cannot help a pet through a crisis. And little Grumpy was not a healthy cat to begin with.
I lost one at age 6, the day before he was to visit a specialist. His sister is now 17, but has a failing heart so probably won’t be around much longer.
If she was at all smart, she has used the money wisely and invested it. Not everyone throws away every cent when they come across a windfall.
:-)
May the LIVES of UNBORN humans be as significant as Grumpy Cat and happy dog’s lives are....to the left.
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