I’ll tell you what is wrong with Grumpy Cat – people; that is what is wrong. People exploiting a cat with bone deformities that appear to be throughout her body including her jaw, which gives her the grumpy appearance. I know I am being grumpy myself but I don’t get all this hype and nonsense about this cat who appears to be ill to me. She appears to be in discomfort. No one has discussed that point. People are assuming she is fine.
Putting aside for a minute the bone deformities and the strange grumpy expression, she seems unhappy. In one video the cat’s owner is playing with her and she lacks interest. In another we see her walking on the carpet. Her gait is uncomfortable and her legs look deformed. She heads straight for a little hiding place. This video has 1 million views. What is so fascinating about seeing a small, ill cat struggling to walk and then hiding? She is probably getting away from the ruddy video camera that is hounding her day and night.
Grumpy cat whose name is Tardar Sauce has been on television and a YouTube channel is dedicated to her.
Look, I am just pointing out an alternative viewpoint. I don’t think it is right to do all this videoing for the delectation of the masses without checking her medical condition. Has anyone provided a full report on her medical condition? If not her caretaker should have.
You can’t make money out of your cat if she is ill. It appears she is a dwarf cat, possibly a Munchkin. She also seems to be Snowshoe cat but might not be purebred. She may be a purebred Munchkin with a Snowshoe coat which is pointed (dark extremities) with white fur on the points due to the piebald gene. Update: there is a page on this site about Grumpy’s parents. We are told that she is random bred. Mother: calico. Father: mackerel tabby. Both are normal looking cats. It is hard to believe they created Grumpy.
The medical condition that dwarf cats suffer from is called achondroplasia. It is caused by a genetic mutation. As can be seen in the video it causes shorted limbs. The body is normal sized. The big issue is whether this condition affects other parts of the body. And the answer is yes, it does.
There are numerous other medical issues, at least potentially. As I mentioned the jaw appears to have become deformed resulting in a downward curvature of the mouth. Some other health problems associated with achondroplasia are inward curvature of the spine (lordosis) and a distorted chest cavity (pectus).
There are other possible severe medical conditions that can afflict a dwarf cat. Click on this link for a full discussion on dwarf cat health issues.
I am not saying that Grumpy Cat suffers from these health problems. I don’t know. However, she seems ill and unhappy. Under these circumstances it is wrong to exploit her for money. Making a large number of videos of her and incorporating adverts into the videos can make a decent amount of money if there are lots of views.
One last point. This cat was probably bred deliberately knowing the cat would be a dwarf cat. That appears to compound the dubious ethical standards associated with the whole human circus surrounding this vulnerable and cute cat.
I’m a grumpy old man. I understand grumpy cats.
Update: Since writing this the exploitation has escalated dramatically, with photo-shoots and a movie in the pipe line. Statements by the owners about giving some money to charity are meaningless. A lot of money is being made and this cat is being hawked around the place like a commodity.
This is an unhappy cat, cats hate to be laughed at, laugh with them YES but at them NO.
I find it very sad that some people like to watch a deformed cat struggling to get away from the camera, it’s obvious from the way she goes to hide that she wants a bit of peace and quiet and privacy. Would the people laughing at her, laugh at a deformed person struggling to walk? Of course not, so why laugh at a cat!
Sad to say, Ruth, there are people that laugh at humans with disabilities. It’s not just the violent movies and video games that are problematic, there is often cruelty is what people find funny these days. Every sitcom on tv gets laughs at the expense of authority figures, especially fathers. Families trade insults through entire tv shows. It’s gotten to the point that when someone in real life, out of compassion, asks if it is really a good thing to be using a deformed animal for our entertainment, he gets a bunch of rude comments questioning his intelligence. I definitely saw the results of entertainment that gets its laughs by hurting people when I taught school. Trying to get the teacher angry is funny to kids. I suppose it always was to some children who weren’t taught properly at home to be respectful. Today all children are taught to be disrespectful by what they see on tv. Sure, parents can overcome this to some extent, but today almost any kids, even otherwise nice kids, will insult any adult in authority to get a laugh from their peers. From what they see on tv that’s normality. They are surprised when they get detention because of it.
Smart comment. Thank you Ruth. You are right. People who are disabled get abused in the UK and I suppose in other countries. It totally amazes me. The opposite should happen. A lot of the poor mentality on YouTube comes from young males who simply don’t have the sensibilities and decency to think beyond cheap thrills at any price. For an older person like me it is a situation of despair. I don’t want to be part of it.
If people can laugh at human disability what chance has the domestic cat got? And you know what, they are so far removed from decent behavior they don’t understand any of it.
Bianca Elle The poor cat is being exploited continuously and relentlessly animal control should step in and put a limit on how much this cat is being handled and photographed most animals dislike it and this, this is way beyond cruel now to be in a picture the cat would be continually transported, tortured and put into uncomfortable accessories for extended periods of time all so the owners can make a buck and get rich on it it’s disgusting and shameful think how many pics you have seen of this cat is only one I have seen hundreds they better be giving some to animal rescue and charity. Also dwarfs don’t live for as long and generally have poorer health this cannot be good for it, it’s exploiting a special needs animal for financial gain and so people can laugh at it. It wouldn’t be tolerated in humans so its not ok here either. ALL CATS love to sleep and relax and sleep up to 16hrs a day and to be lied fed and patted not this! Disgusting and unacceptable!
Oh Ruth that is shocking! For anyone to laugh at a disabled person! I must be living a sheltered life as I don’t know of anyone here who would be so cruel. We have 2 friends with Downes syndrome siblings and support our local mentally handicapped young people, they are lovely innocent souls. I don’t watch TV much and never violent films as there’s enough horror in the real world, people and animals starving and abused, selfishness and greed for power. I don’t feel as if I belong here and feel helpless as to what we can do, so I just do my best but it’s never enough.
Her nickname is Tard? That is just plain innapropriate. Young people today use ‘tard as an insult– it’s an abbreviation of retard. It’s just plain wrong to use that type of language. It’s offensive to people who have cognitive or developmental disabilities. This goes beyond the experience of this cat. We need to stop using “retard” as an insult and shortening it up does not make it any more acceptable. I still question the entertainment value in pictures and videos of a small, deformed cat. Would a small, deformed human be entertaining? Would it then be ok to call that human a ‘tard? This is not how people in a compassionate, enlightened society behave. But then we don’t have that do we. Bullying in some schools is so bad that our children are committing suiicide because of it. I’m sure the kids who drove them to it just thought they were having a few laughs. What we find entertaining matters, especially because our children are watching.
“What we find entertaining matters, especially because our children are watching.”
This is a very important sentence. Thank you Ruth. We do have to ensure that kids are entertained by things that do not corrupt morals, ethics, judgements and standards. There a big debate about this. I, for one, feel that there is a gradual corruption of standards by what kids see in videos, video games and film.
Wow. So much condemnation and speculation. And anthropomorphising and projecting.
So many of you seem to “know” what this cat is feeling on the basis of some photos and videos while in the same breath claiming the veterinarian(s) who’ve actually examined her can’t possibly know whether or not she’s in pain.
I take pictures of my two cats all the damn time. They don’t have a clue what I’m doing and they wouldn’t have a clue whether or not I uploaded them. I’m pretty sure Tard doesn’t either.
What to all of you sanctimonious twits think Tard’s owners should do? Euthanise her? Whatever her health issues may or may not be, taking photos and videos of her and putting them on the internet is not going to exacerbate her condition.
Get a grip.
I wrote the article and I make it clear I don’t know what the cat is feeling but say it is possible or likely this cat feels discomfort. I think you should re-read the article Montana. Try and develop some sensibilities and ethics. I would strongly argue that it is you who needs to get a grip – on morality. Would you make a video of a deformed child? If not why do it to another member of the family who happens to be another species of animal?
You are comparing a deformed child with a cat? Seriously, Sir? Any credibility you had just went right out the window. Besides which, it is not the cat’s less than perfect bone structure which is celebrated—it is her grumpy expression. “Another member of the family who happens to be another species.” Good Grief. You people are really stretching here, trying to find a rationale for your idiotic pomposity. I have 2 adopted stray cats and 3 adopted stray dogs. I’ve had as many as 4 and 7 at one time. It’s people like you who make those who don’t love animals think we are all insane.
Shyler, you just don’t get it do you? The “less than perfect bone structure” is the reason for the grumpy expression. You have missed that point. And yes humans are simply a different species to cats. All biologists would agree that. You don’t understand that either. That is not stretching any point. It is straight biology. Perhaps you think God made humans and the earth is flat.
People treat cats as members of their family and we should treat them in the same way that we treat people, with dignity and gentleness. You miss that point too.
I am not pompous. I am concerned about people like you who have lost their moral compass. Neither am I idiotic. By the looks of it, it is you who is idiotic in missing obvious points.
could you please update your article with a link to the most recent video of Tardar, in New York?
it’s here: http://youtu.be/VNMW7Xh8UiI
that would be helpful to show how she’s growing up and moving.
this cat touches my heart in so many ways because of my Nikki and all the other not-well cats I’ve fostered over the years. I made sure they got out and about to get lots of loving attention and I’ve seen and felt the way a cat’s body relaxes and responds to affection.
No, but delaying medical care to this cat will prolong her suffering, there are meds especially made for cats or dogs. A popular one is a combination of Chondroitin with Glucosamine, it helps very old cats/dogs move better. Humans take a stronger dose with great results.
If your child is ill or in pain will you just ignore the problem or try to find a reputable dr to help your child feel better?
Tragic how some petowners ignore an animal health problem till it’s too late. They need to be charged with medical negligence, animals have feelings too.
Southeast Arizona (USA)
According to the cat’s owners Grumpy cat has been given a clean bill of health. See here: http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/
The point I am making, which I don’t seem to have made myself clear about, is that even the world’s greatest vet can’t tell for sure if a cat is in pain or how much pain or discomfort. A cat can get a clean bill of health but still be in discomfort. Also it is irrelevant if Grumpy Cat is healthy. For me (and I emphasis these are my personal beliefs) it is wrong to exploit body deformity for financial gain, which is what is happening. Yet again people don’t seem to understand that.
If a cat is in pain or discomfort, it will not eat, it will not groom itself. This cat is fat and happy. She’s hilariously cute and that’s why she’s so beloved by the whole Internet!
She has no comprehension that people are laughing at her. I’ve visited theDaily Grump and my opinion is that Grumpy and her brother are fortunate to find such a loving home.
In other circumstances, a deformed kitten would have been euthanized or met a worse fate.
Why are you so upset over a cats celebrity?
It isn’t necessarily the case that cats in discomfort don’t eat or groom themselves. I am not saying that Grumpy cat feels ill all the time, which reduces appetite (although she might feel ill). I am saying that she might well being feeling discomfort from time to time because of her skeletal deformities in which case she would eat. We don’t know for sure how she feels. I have responded in other comments as well. I am not against cat celebrity. I am against cat exploitation. They are different things.
I don’t see it as exploitation. As others have pointed out, a portion of the proceeds benefit animal charities.
I see this cat having a very loving home, and looks to be very pampered. Millions of unwanted pets would be so lucky to have such a home.
I would be the kind of person to create a website around one of my pets. If it grew in popularity for whatever reason, why would that be wrong? It would only be wrong if my pet had some abnormality?
You’re guessing she might be in some mild discomfort from time to time, but its just as probable that she is not in any pain at all. She looks bright eyed and healthy to me.
The impression I’m getting from your comments is that you don’t think she should be alive at all, that her very existence is cruel. What would be a better response from the owners? To treat her like she’s on her death bed? To put her down cuz shes suppossedly in so much pain? Just like people with disabilities, she is fully capable of leading a happy and productive life.
A quick Internet search ill inform you that they take her to the vet regularly, so they are not being careless or negligent.
I don’t see it as exploitation. The videos and images aren’t different from any other cat Internet videos. She just looks a little different from a regular cat.
Grumpy Cat does have a substantial set of abnormalities as I see it. It would seem, therefore, that you support my viewpoint. I do not think she should not be alive at all. I have never indicated that. She has an absolute right to life. She also has a right to be respected and not have the voyeuristic human gawping and laughing at her for the purposes of amusement. I am saying look after her but out of the limelight.
Vets do not know if a cat is in discomfort or pain. There will be clues but it is guesswork. I say err on the safe side and do the decent thing.
Some explanation from her owners here: http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/
It’s clear that no one wants to acknowledge this as it would make them wrong and this website pointless!
Not sure what you mean. Please clarify.
If you read this information given here by Tardar Sauce’s owners it says she “She visited the vet at the beginning of October and they said she is healthy. They said her shape and size could be genetic or neurological and that they could do test to determine which; but since she is healthy we decided not to poke and prod her. If she seems ill we may look further into it; but she will receive regular checkups!”
You all need to calm down…. Seriously….
Some blame youtube, some blame the owner, but the fact is that you don’t know shit. They have been to the vet, they invest in the cats well-being from the proceeds, they have even said that on national tv. So really calm down cause doubt amy of you are actual experts on any situation like this…..
Look, I don’t believe everything you say. I doubt the money has been invested in cat welfare. I am a 64 year old man. I know what people are like. And I am calm. I am very calm. I just don’t like this sort of stuff for the reasons I state. Finally, I do know shit. I know a lot about shitty human behavior.
“Look, I don’t believe everything you say. I doubt the money has been invested in cat welfare. I am a 64 year old man. I know what people are like. And I am calm. I am very calm. I just don’t like this sort of stuff for the reasons I state. Finally, I do know shit. I know a lot about shitty human behavior.”
Translation: I have decided that this cat’s owners are terrible people and will not change my mind no matter what anyone says because that would mean admitting that I jumped to a conclusion without examining the evidence and I am wrong. Also, I can not disagree with someone’s stance on posting pictures of their cat who has an unusual appearance without demonizing them.
In all seriousness, I do agree that they are going a little overboard. Posting a picture or two on the internet is one thing, but they are exploiting her at this point. However I don’t get the impression that they’re terrible people, just misguided.
I also don’t from the other videos and pictures out there get the impression that the cat is in any pain. In other media she looks much less deformed. She is still a kitten, so that would explain her size.
Rubbish. I knew exactly what I was doing and I stand totally by what I wrote. Sorry Terry you don’t know me. I never said they were terrible people. You are misconstruing what I said. I did not jump to a conclusion. I thought about it for a while. There is no doubt in my mind that it is wrong to make videos of a cat companion that is deformed. Period. Full stop. I don’t expect you or anyone else to agree with that and I don’t care if people do or don’t. It is my website and I can do as I please with it.
You’re right, you didn’t call them terrible. You called them shitty. My bad.
Michael, I am a 60 year old woman. A sixty year old crippled fat woman. What is really eating you? This little cat is a celebrity because of her grumpy expression. She is obviously physically and mentally retarded, but so what? She is loved and she is well cared for, and she is a CAT. Why are you concerned that her owners might be making money from her pictures? How can that possibly hurt you? are you merely jealous? The cat does NOT care if her pictures are being used on the internet. I had a dog with a trisomy condition for seven years and she was the love of my life. She was our little precious, but she did NOT care what people said about her, or whether we took pictures, or even if we called her “Precious Tardy Baby”. She pretty much woke up with a clean slate ever couple of hours, bless her sweet angel soul, and when we said “oh, Dottie puppy! her’s the bestest puppy! her’s just not very smart!” She thought it was the greatest thing in the world. You need to work on your own problems, dude, and figure out why you resent the successful enterprise of these obviously loving and caring cat owners. Most people would have had the baby euthanized instead of loving her like they do. Oh, and for anyone who thinks “retarded” is not PC, IT’S A CAT! It doesn’t care what you say as long as you say it with love. Apparently retarded cats are smarter than a lot of people.
Nothing is eating me Syler. I am simply saying that it is morally wrong to exploit a deformed cat that might well be ill and feel ill. It is an important point to make. I’ll tell you why. If we have this immoral attitude towards the domestic cat it is a reflection of our general attitude towards animals. It is that careless, abusive attitude towards animals that results in so much domestic animal abuse and wild animal exploitation. All the wild cats are gradually becoming extinct in the wild and are miserable in zoos. Grumpy cat’s exploitation is a small but high profile example of our disrespectful attitude towards animals. We need to change. It is our duty to change as we are in charge of the planet.
Grumpy cat probably doesn’t mind about the exploitation. That is not the point. It is about us and what is good for us in the long term. In the long term respecting animals is better for the planet and for future generations. You seem to have missed that important point.
I understand your points. but that abuse takes place out of the eyes of the world, whereas Grumpy Cat and her brother and parents are so visible to the public eye that the world is watching how they’re all cared for.
it’s the deformed, mentally challenged pets that never see the light of day outside that I worry for the most.
Dude, you are a 64 year old man and you know what people are like? That is your basis for assuming her owners don’t love her, care for her, and thinking they are just trying to exploit the cat and that is their only motivation? that is far and beyond the most retarded argument ever. Guess what you are? You are a person! And I know what people are like! You are exploiting grumpy cat by writing and article about how grumpy cat is exploited to try and bring more traffic to your website! shame on you! obviously im being sarcastic, because “i know what people are like” is possibly the most retarded rationalization towards judging people you have never met.
Hi Mike, I did not write the article with the sole purpose of getting more visitors. It may surprise you to know that I wrote the article because of the reasons I state in the article. There is nothing clever beyond that. I actually meant it, every word in the article.
You don’t know me. You don’t know how I think. If I was really commercial I’d write completely different articles. I really do write about things that mean something to me. A lot of what I say actually upsets visitors 😉
its obvious you only read the first couple lines of what i wrote because as i had stated i was being sarcastic. you are right i don’t know you and i don’t now how you think… just like you have no clue who grumpy cats owners are or how they think. yet you used the statement “i know what people are like” to back up your own argument that they are exploiting her. the irony is just dripping off your messages
and 1 more note…..PLEASE ADOPT! This kitty is the result of a greedy, ignorant breeder obviously. Breeding animals should be illegal!