What Is Wrong With Grumpy Cat?
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.
Grumpy Cat. Screenshot from video.
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.
Here’s the list of “Will Kitty Play With It” videos. She is the top three:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHZZojDg7cOCLXOBJwiWwkKcF5Pr8fs9m
This is the TMZ report on how much $$$ the owner made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9d1CvS4diA
A lot of great comments here. I just found out that Tardar Sauce’s owner was paid $500,000 for the kitty’s three appearances in “Will Kitty Play With It” – Frisky’s YouTube series. Tardar Sauce was flown first class and had her own personal ‘brusher’. It appears they did take pretty good care of her, but $500K? The owner is from a VERY small Arizona town and she has no idea what she’s doing. I worry Tardar Sauce won’t live as long due to all the unnecessary activity. Stupid humans.
WOW. I am shocked at the big money. What I said all along was that this is exploitation. It is all about money and no matter how much the owners and supports argue their case and try and justify it, it is still bl**dy exploitation.
Exactly!
Exactly!
I think the world’s reaction to Grumpy Cat says more about THE WORLD than it does the cat’s owners.
There is something slightly unnerving about a deformed cat named “Tard” with crude quotes and comments attached, but *why* is it unnerving? It’s not like the cat is aware of the jokes or has any sense of exploitation. She’s obviously loved and well cared for. The disturbing part is that it’s a reflection of how disabled PEOPLE are often viewed (and treated) in our society.
As we move away from words like “retard” and other hateful terms, we’re cracking jokes about a disabled cat named Tard. Is it juvenile and potentially offensive to disabled people? Maybe. But I don’t believe that’s the cat owners’ intention at all. I think it’s a sign of how far we haven’t come as a society. Political correctness doesn’t change the ugly feelings and ignorance in people’s hearts.
That is a very good point that I missed. It has always shocked me that people mock and attack disabled people. It is so crude and uncivilised and ignorant. For me there is something inherently wrong with the whole Grumpy Cat media circus. The cat doesn’t understand it, of course. But she is pulled and pushed from pillar to post, from one media photo shoot to the next etc. which can’t be good for a disabled cat. But, as you say, it is about us and how we behave and the Grumpy Cat phenomenon tells me that we don’t behave well at all. It is bad for humanity to do this sort of thing. People should behave with more probity. Finally, whatever the owners say, this is financial exploitation of a disabled cat that looks interesting in the style of LOL Cats and Cheeseburger photos. I hate it.
I agree with you Michael 100% anyone who cant see this is not an animal lover.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!
Well said Bianca and thank you for supporting me.
Absolutely, we would not show off and laugh at a dwarf person with a funny face because of a bone deformity so why do we do it to a domestic cat? Because we think they are dumb and we are superior and we can do as we please with the cat. It makes me feel ashamed of humankind. It is a form of typically arrogant but poor human behavior. The media are always looking for something new and it does not matter what the source is. The tackier the better.
http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/#.UV3ukqJJOZx
What a lot of grumbling with oh so little factual base! From what I have gathered from your original argument plus your responses in comments, your basic complaint can be boiled down to one sentence. I’ll try to quote you as exactly as I can, since I see above that you’ve blatantly dismissed arguments on the basis of paraphrasing and singular changed words: “I know a lot about shitty human behavior [therefore] I feel the owners are seeking a bit of fame and money…at the expense of their cat [and have a] ruddy video camera that is hounding her [Grumpy Cat] day and night.” Obviously, that’s a simplification – I did say I was going to be boiling it down to a sentence – but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so I can point out the general fault I have with this page.
You are, without doubt, quite a reasonable man. I make no assumptions about your character outside what I’ve seen in writing, but that much is obvious. Your astute diagnosis of Tardar Sauce’s likely medical problems makes that quite clear. Therefore, I’m puzzled by the pessimism that seems to pervade your opinion of the cat’s caregivers, as illustrated by your words as I’ve compiled them above. You seem to take for granted that Tard’s owners must be “shitty people.”
The evidence I’ve seen seems to indicate the contrary. In their own words, Tard’s owners say they Grumpy Cat’s fame came about by accident. They had merely done what many cat owners, myself included, do – posted pictures of their furry friend online, just as one would post pictures of one’s non-furry friends online. Tard’s appearance did the rest. “I’m thrilled to see that my cat brings joy to people,” Tard’s owner says. But, of course, the delight one gets from sharing what brings joy to you with others and seeing the reaction in duplicate is not enough to negate any wrong-doing on their part if, indeed, they are the “shitty people” you hypothesize they are.
But I think there’s ample evidence to suggest that they are not. You may have already seen evidence to negate your claims – I know it’s already been pointed out in the comments that your belief that Tard was bred specifically for her dwarf status has been disproved by factual accounts of her birth. But let’s start with the fact that Tard stills lives with her brother and has regular contact with her mother. Most cats I know are not afforded the same luxury, even when their owners are particularly doting. I would think this says something about the empathizing nature of the owners, but perhaps you would disagree, so I’ll continue. There are clear signs that Tardar Sauce is well looked after during her publicity events. At SXSW, lines of fans were disappointed when Tard’s appointment was cut off early. Her owners apologized, but said that Tard was feeling uncomfortable. When asked if Tard is ever sedated, they reacted in alarm, asserting quite vehemently that Tard was never upset enough that there was any need.
But the crux of your criticism seems to lie on the assertion that Tard just “seems unhappy.” I had to wonder, upon first reading that, if we were watching the same videos, because the videos I’ve seen show what seems to me to be normal cat behavior. Playing with string. Claiming rights to cardboard boxes. Exploring the great outdoors. As a kitten, playing with other kittens. Interacting with her brother. She does each of these things with an awkward gait, but otherwise normalcy. You’ve concluded that she’s ill and thus probably in pain, but the behavior exhibited in these videos does not strike me as that of a cat in pain. I know her gait was cited as a probable cause of pain, but she seems to be able to function quite well with it. One would think, if it caused her pain, she would exhibit signs of pain in action, perhaps in listlessness or in vocal discomfort. She seems to me just like other animals born with deformed limbs, like the three-legged cat my best friend owns: she’s got a deformity and she’s compensated with an awkward gait, but it’s what she’s always known so she doesn’t let that stop her from doing as she pleases. Am I overlooking something in this assessment?
Perhaps some will cite her eyes, as I know I read in the comments that people read pain in her eyes. Once again, I find myself wondering if y’all are looking at something I’m not. I’ve given some thought to this and I’ve got a theory – I would guess, that in judging these videos, you’ve done what I’ve done and compared Tard to the cats you have had over the years. Perhaps the discrepancy lies here? Earlier this year, we lost a cat to a car accident that serves as my primary comparison when I view Tard. He was a cantankerous cat, fond of cuddling only rarely and on his own terms, and otherwise fond of finding hiding spaces around the house and yard – yes, he actually enjoyed hiding under bookshelves and chairs and cabinets. I would guess, from the way she likes to hide in boxes, that this is also something Tard likes to do and not the sign of abuse some seem to think, but I digress. Over the years we had my cat, I grew very much used to bending down to pet him, only to be greeted by a look in his eyes that said, very clearly, “I’m only humoring you right now.” This is the look I see in Tard’s eyes, which seems natural when taking into consideration the fact that she would almost certainly prefer to be fed, petted, held, played with, or left to sleep before being filmed. Is this discomfort related to her illness? I think it’s going a little bit far to assume so, when the so-called “pain” that people claim to see in her eyes can be much more reasonably attributed to everyday annoyance.
That being said, is there some exploitation that occurs in this situation? Of course there is. One of Tard’s owners is a ten year old girl who will need to get put through college some day. Tard herself will have medical expenses later on most likely, which, contrary to the assertions laid forth here, the owners seem well aware of, as they make explicit references to her deformities with an air of familiarity. But to condemn the family for money-making is to ignore the nature of the viral fad. Once Tard’s images had begun to permeate the forums of Reddit, Tard was going to be an internet phenomenon anyway. There was nothing the owners could have done at that point to prevent their cat from being “exploited.” Personally, I see little reason to fault the “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality. One of the reasons brought up in the comments in argument against such a mentality was the doubt that the family would indeed be using the money made to Tard’s benefit, but, once again, I think this is unnecessarily pessimistic and frankly against all suggested evidence.
The family clearly love Tard to pieces. They coo at her and pet her on camera. There are pictures of Tard happily cuddled in the ten year old’s lap. Someone cited the video in which the owner helps her to drink as a negative, which baffles me, because it shows a familiarity with a process that helps Tard in her daily life, a process which many cats owners would be less willing to commit to as an impediment to their daily lives. It also shows that the cat quite clearly trusts its humans enough to be willing to accept their help. Does Tard sometimes look cantankerous at home? Yes, of course she does. She’s a cat. They are well known for their contrary, self-involved, and finicky behavior. Plus, as her owner succinctly puts it, “she likes to be held and petted some times, but being the pet of a 10 year old could make anyone grumpy.”
Personally, I am disappointed by this article, as I think it to be quite unfair toward the owners and selective in its facts. To all outward appearances, Tard is a deformed, but otherwise normal, cat whose owners were presented with the unique opportunity of sharing her with the world while simultaneously making money to better the familial unit – much-loved cats included. Would she be better off away from the limelight? It’s hard to say. Of course she’s probably annoyed at being handled on occasion, but in the long run the money earned will be beneficial to her and her much-disputed health. Soon enough, as with all viral fads, she will lose popularity and go back to being a normal house cat. In the mean time, does the sale of t-shirts and the like negatively impact Tard? I would think that proving that would be difficult. She probably doesn’t know the shirts exist and those that buy them already are quite familiar with Tard from the pictures that spread online. And meanwhile, it’s clear the family are trying their best not to overtax her. More importantly, there is ample evidence to suggest that Tardar Sauce is very much loved by her family and, most importantly of all, that she loves them in return. Meanwhile, she brings happiness to the world. Someone said above that cats know when they are being laughed at, but I don’t think it’s so simple as that. She doesn’t have access to the Internet, firstly, so she cannot be thus offended. And moreover, those people she meets personally will not be laughing at her. She’s an Internet celebrity now – has been since her pictures went viral on Reddit without her owners’ knowledge – so the initial reaction to a live meeting is not laughter, but earnest delight. If she can tell when people are laughing at her – an assertion which I make no ruling for or against – it stands to reason that she can tell when she makes them happy too.
Lastly, I’d like to end by asking for clarification. You say in later arguments that your article is meant to… draw attention to a sort of precedent? “Disrespectful behavior in relation to a high profile cat can lead to lower levels of cat welfare for other cats. It is also unfair on Tardar.” I ignore that last sentence, as with the arguments I’ve drawn before, I don’t understand its relevance at all. But in relation to the former, I have this to say. Let’s say someone reads this article, sees your estimation of Tardar Sauce. What are they to draw away from it? A – I should not adopt a deformed cat, as clearly it is very intensive, the cat will likely be in pain constantly, and I’ll be personally subjected to criticism. B – I should actively campaign against Grumpy Cat, launch complaints against her owners, and try to draw their attention to the abuse they are causing. As for the latter, it will result in Internet trolling, spamming, possible abuse against the owners themselves (hopefully just verbal), and public shaming. Are you secure enough in your views that you would advocate this in the name of said views? And as for the former, are you aware of that precedent that your words set? Are you aware that this page is one of the first that comes up in a Google search for Grumpy Cat and the first in a search of Grumpy Cat in relation the word “wrong?” Are you aware of the weight that comes along with such popularity? Of course, I’m playing devil’s advocate here, but in doing so, I’m hoping to make a point – the best meaning of intentions can be misconstrued to be painted as evil. Don’t you think, maybe, that you might be doing the same with this family?
As a post script, anyone who would like to see the evidence I cite can leave a message in reply. Please be as specific as you can with which evidence you contest, as I’ve drawn from a broad range of videos, interviews, articles, etc.
Amelia, thanks for taking the time to comment. I don’t have the time to read it all. We obviously think completely differently.
It is a case of personal standards regarding morality and behavior and in respect of our relationship with animals.
I feel strongly that what is happening to Tardar is wrong. It just feels wrong and I trust my feelings. I have tried to convert feelings to hard reasons.
There is no doubt in my mind that Tardar is being exploited. I am not alone in thinking this way. My follow-up article supports my views.
https://pictures-of-cats.org/Grumpy-cat-has-a-reason-to-be-grumpy.html
Her owners are making lots of money out of her and most of it is going into their pocket. The front that they give it to charity is just that: a front and PR exercise to justify the exploitation. I am entitled to my opinion and we just have to agree to disagree.
Michael, how ridiculous are you?
“I don’t have the time to read it all” in response to Amelia’s comment. How can you say you must “think completely differently”, if you did not take the time to read her very well thought out viewpoint? How disrespectful, why should people read your comments if you wont take the time to read theirs. My guess is because you know she is actually right and she has called you on basically being a grumpy old man having a rant, about a cat who has a grumpy face.
Who cares if her owners are maing money out of her? She is well fed and well loved. Her human mum is a waitress and still is a waitress, she hasnt left her job on the back of grumpy cats fame. Also, you call Tardar Sauce a boy quite a few times through the article, and state that you cant find any evidence that her owners have taken her to a vet, but anyone with a basic reading ability can find through a basic search, if they had done their research before having a rant, that she is a girl and they have taken her to the vet. Then you go off on a weird tangent about a vet not knowing when a cat is in pain….if a vet dosnt know, what makes you such an expert by just looking at a photo??? This blog is like a car crash, you slow down and have a look because its so tragic. Do some research or actually contact her owners if you have genuine concern, dont blog about it and then get nasty if people dont agree with you and actually prove that you are wrong.
I am not ridiculous. The cat’s sex is irrelevant. You don’t get the point of the article because you are so wrapped up in your stupid arrogance with your head up your arse (sorry for being rude but that is how I read your comment). Look, if you don’t understand what I am saying go away. Leave me alone and continue living in your cosy little arrogant, uncaring world.
I completely stand by my article. It is correct and this cat is being mercilessly exploited for money. Period. Full stop.
See a subsequent article: Grumpy cat has a reason to be grumpy.
Michael, you talk about shitty human behaviour, look at what you have just said to me. Dont apologise about saying something rude, dont say the rude thing in the first place. There was no need to call me arogant or say that my head is up my own arse. I am a massive animal lover. Grumpy cat is very well looked after. Her owners did not chase the fame, it just happened and now they are gaining from it yes, but how is that jeopardising the cat? Animals all over the world are exploited for money in ways that are WAY worse than what grumpy cats owners are doing. Circus’s, carnivals, Zoos, petting farms, elephant rides etc. That is all done for money off the back of an animal. You have worked yourself up over nothing, you need to take a step back, pull your own head out of your arse and look at the bigger issues that are out there. Your initial article does not just talk about tardar being exploited, it talks about a whole lot of other crap that you didnt bother to research first. I wont bother commenting again, a point of a blog is a point of view yes, but dont ridicule me for mine. You are a grumpy rude old man, dont post your comments online if you want to be “left alone”.
“Amelia, thanks for taking the time to comment. I don’t have the time to read it all. We obviously think completely differently.”
How did you arrive at that conclusion if you did not read everything Amelia wrote? Michael, I’m disappointed that you only appear to have time to read comments on this thread which support your own opinion.
None of us have been privvy to the private accounts of the family who own Tardar Sauce nor know how much they have (or have not) donated to charity. It’s all assumption and speculation on the part of the general public – yourself included.
If someone writes a 1,000+ word comment and makes a point that can be said in 5-10 lines I don’t want to plough through it. I am too busy. If you want me to respond to the comment, please write a summary of it in 5-10 lines and I’ll respond.
I don’t need to read justifications and fine arguments about why it is OK to exploit this cat.
I just need to stand back and go back to basics. This cat looks funny because of a facial deformity. The owners are making money out of that.
Cats don’t like being transported all over the place, handled by strange people and be in strange places a lot.
All the arguments for what is happening are attempts to justify it. It is human blinkers and the human’s inability to stand back and look at the human species objectively.
People are too human-centric and wrapped up in their own worlds to think out of the box.
“Cats don’t like being transported all over the place, handled by strange people and be in strange places a lot.”
By that logic the showing of pedigreed cats could also be considered exploitation by their owners. And let’s be honest, several of the current breed “traits” are based on deformities. Personally I see nothing to be celebrated in awarding prizes to cats with brachycephaly, yet many people seem to find the flat faced Persian and Exotic cute.
I agree with you. There is not much difference in principle but Tardar is at a whole different level. I think a little bit of cat showing is OK but I believe show cats don’t particularly like it and some get tired of it.
If you agree that awarding prizes to flat-faced Persians is wrong then you would agree that what is happening to Tardar is wrong.
The showing of cats IS exploitation by their ‘owners’ and that word ‘owners’ says it all.
They OWN living beings and can do what they like with them.
Showing is not for the cats benefit, cats don’t want fame and glory and money, they just want to enjoy being cats, doing what cats are born to do.
The same goes for ‘Grumpy Cat’ only worse, because she is constantly exploited, not occasionally, she doesn’t want fame either, only to live her life peacefully in her own home, just like all cats have the right to do.
I think anyone laughing at her exploitation is seriously lacking in compassion and common sense.
Awarding prizes to breeders of cats with a deliberately introduced deformity only encourages them to perpetuate or even further exaggerate said deformity. That winning look then becomes the standard by which other cats of the same breed will be judged and breeders will strive to achieve the desired look in their own cats. Health problems and routine c-sections because kittens’ heads are too large for a normal birth surely cannot be in the best interests of the cats themselves?
As far as I’m aware, Tardar Sauce was a random bred cat whose parents are both regular domestic cats. Her unfortunate deformities and appearance are not a result of selective breeding for a specific look. As sometimes happens with random bred cats, the wide gene pool in her ancestry threw her a curve ball. She is not going to be bred from so those mutant genes will not be passed on.
I have no idea how many public appearances have been made or photos of Tardar Sauce are posted on-line, but I genuinely don’t believe her owners set out to exploit her. I think they were as surprised by her popularity as anyone.
There are many photos and videos available on-line of disabled or handicapped cats. Do they raise awareness that these cats can live happy and normal lives, or are they exploiting them because they are different? People will always have their own opinion, but it’s interesting to hear those different opinions even when we may not agree.
If you cover his mouth and look at his eyes, he looks perfectly content.
Hi, when I read this I got worried, but I read this on the official website, you should all check it out
http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/#.UU-PShx3ZJs
Thanks. As I said Tardar’s owners are milking their cat for every penny.
Yes they are, the mugs, calendars and fridge magnets are tacky in the extreme at least. I just meant about the health of the cat, only taking pictures once a week, and them saying the cat wasn’t bred like that intentionally. Though it does disgustme when people breed animals in the extreme, like chihuahuas, munchkins, siamese, angora rabbits etc.
The video on this page shows the poor cat creeping away to hide under the bookshelves, just as a cat frightened or in pain does.
That is unacceptable to cat lovers!
I just wanted to leave a quick comment because a post above needs to be justified. The cat is called “Tard” because it is short for “Tartar Sauce”. The family also has another cat named “Pokey” who has similar features. Clearly they are not poking fun with a bad name. I have not heard of such nonsense. The cat was probably called Tarter Sauce due to her color pattern and color that do resemble the color of tartar sauce. I not think the short nickname or the actual name is cruel. They are not calling the cat “Tard” in reference to down-syndrome. I have a cat that I adopted out of my heart. She was a stray and abused and was emotionally damaged. It has been a piece of work getting her to trust us. She is obese to the point it is dangerous but we are doing all we can. She visits the vet regularly and is well taken care of and seems very happy now. She plays and purrs all the time and is starting to be very comfortable around us. We treat her like a princess due to her rough past. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a laugh about her wobbly-walk or her stature or even call her by her nickname which is “fat cat” from her original name “kitkat”. As long as the owners of Tartar Sauce are taking her to vet and treating her properly I see no wrong. They are also using the proceeds of her fame to help other animals which is great. You mentioned in a video that Tartar Sauce went and hid in box. Did you hear its owner say that it was a trick? The cat was not simply abused and sad that it went in a box for a treat. I respect your opinion and understand your worry for the cat. Such deformities could cause pain but why not make the life a happy one for the cat? If she is having pain at all. Clearly if you read about her on the page the owners say the cat loves to be petted and to have attention. With all the publicity that is probably the best taken care of animal out there. And to your point about pain? Animals can’t talk period. I am sure there are many healthy looking cats and dogs in pain that wouldn’t give anyone a reason to think they were in pain. All animals are at a risk for pain we don’t know about. What about them? Tartar Sauce seems very happy, playful, and content. She has the regular vet visits and her vet says she is extremely healthy. I don’t think the owners are making fun of the cat, they are just showing the world something they thought was amusing about their pet they love. Tartar Sauce has not a clue her pictures are an internet phenomenon but I am sure she is loving the extra attention and love she gets. Her owners constantly post videos of her sleeping, playing, and socializing with the other family cat. I consider her lucky. I am sure if you have extra concerns you could contact the owners via the contact button on their website. Thanks.
Thanks Meredith for taking the time to comment. I rely on my feelings because they are based on 64 years of living on this planet. My feelings inform me that showing off Tardar on the internet in various ways including videos is not ethical the right thing to do. I have tried to explain that feeling in previous comments and the article itself.
By the way, one quick search, and I found an article by tardar’s owner, where the discuss the cats medical condition. The two cats that they believe produced Tardar and her brother, are both domestic short haired cats, the mother is a calico, and the cat they believe is the father is a grey and white tabby cat. They are both normal sized cats.
Grumpy Cat, being a cat, is completely unaware that she has videos of her published on the web.
I agree. Tardar does not know a video has been made. However, this is about us, people, the human. It is about us being more respectful of the companion cat. Our behavior in relation to Grumpy Cat does not set a good example to others in my opinion. Disrespectful behavior in relation to a high profile cat can lead to lower levels of cat welfare for other cats. It is also unfair on Tardar.
I got sick of reading the comments so I appologise if I repeat anything someone has said.
Michael I completely stand by your statement that Tardar should be properly cared for, not carted around for peoples amusement. However we don’t know the full story of the cat’s home life. Maybe she is medicated or goes to some kind of Kitty therapy.
My own cat Suki I saved from a breeder who was going to have her put down. Something about being a genetic mutation from a Ragdoll that got out and went whoring with moggies. Weekly She recieves hydro therapy as her spine and legs don’t quite work how they should. (she loves the water and is always excited to get to the vet).
I have to stand by the point that when you’re close to an animal you can tell when something is not right. I know straight away whenever Suki is uncomfortable or in pain and act accordingly. Maybe Tardar’s family are the same? I do have to state though how hard it would be to maintain a close relationship with a cat while being passed around so often, most cats are usually ‘one person’ animals.
I think Tardar and pokey are exploited simply because they are cute, and differ from any cat I’ve ever seen. The ignorant and nasty comments should be ignored.
I enjoyed reading the different points of view, I thought I should include my two cents 🙂
Hi Liisha, nice comment – very fair and sensible – it is much appreciated.
I found this section of your comment interesting. Grumpy has a Ragdoll appearance. I wonder if there is some genetic mutation that has entered the Ragdoll breeding program? I always felt that Grumpy cat is a breeder’s mistake. That is what it looks like to me. Grumpy Cat has the appearance of a purebred cat that went wrong in the breeding process.
I have been reading and reading the debate as presented here, and I am going to chime in briefly. I am not sure that I agree with those who reflexively argue from the point of view that cats ( or dogs, or whatever) experience emotions in the same manner that humans do but there is no denying that they experience something similar, at the very least.
As for what Michael has been saying, I agree with his observation of a widespread societal problem in the Euro-US world when it comes to ethical behavior and choices. Tartar Sauce, then, is his case in point. Feel free to correct me anywhere along the way here, Michael. He is not saying that removing the viral celebrity of this cat will bring about world peace and brotherhood. What I think he is saying is that ethical choices have to start somewhere. If you believe the cat is exploited, you can choose to not watch, view, or donate through that outlet (passive ethics). If you feel more strongly, you can begin grassroots opposition, call for the owners to voluntarily take down the site, or inundate ther local animal control with letters and calls demanding welfare checks. You can inundate the companies the owners have used and organize boycotts of ther products. If there is enough outcry, the companies will threaten legal action to stop the ads.
In the end, however, I think what Michael is saying, is that ethical behavior has to begin somewhere. And opposition to unethical behavior must also start somewhere.
Finally, as to the idea that you can try your best and never make a difference, I say this: you cannot know. I had an English teacher in grade 6 who made left-handed me stay after school each day to rewrite my homework until it was legible. Aside from the obvious benefit of developing legible penmanship, she taught me to always put my best efforts first so I would not have to spend time correcting shoddy work later. In grade 10, I had an English teacher who saw a good student struggling with unhappy home issues. She took the time to ask regularly how I was, let me come to her when I needed to talk or get advice, and she listened. She intervened right before I had planned to commit suicide. I never got to tell either of them of the impact they had upon me. The point is this: just because you don’t get to see your impact on others, does not mean you don’t have one.
Michael, I hope I have contributed constructively. Keep talking and encouraging others to think and debate. It is healthier than some would think!
Shoot, I was doing so well, and then I misspelled her name.
You are one of us Janis. I agree with all you say. I believe that we can act far more ethically in respect to animals. The broad mass of people still look down on animals. I see animals as equals. They are equals. There is no reason why they cannot be equals. When did so called intelligence make someone less equal? Animals are more intelligent in some aspects of behavior. Humans are a plague on the planet, blindly ruining it day by day in the most wanton, idiotic way.
There are millions of videos on YouTube that exploit animals, particularly cats. Humans are very self-centered. We are so wrapped up in our little worlds, which are so important to us. We totally miss the big picture – respect for others and seeking harmony through ethical and polite behavior. Personally I find the world a big disappointment for these reasons.
I actually think this kitty is amazingly adorable… not “ugly” or “deformed”, but unique, special and… well… precious! I also think that the vast majority of people who follow and share her tumblr photos feel the same way about her that I do. Not all photos of her have mean-spirited captions – the ones on Tumblr are mostly just her going through her cute little life.
If that precious baby’s physical limitations cause her pain, then that would make me terribly sad for her, and I think that many other people would feel the same way.
We don’t know if she is in pain or discomfort. Her deformity indicates possible discomfort. Under these circumstances we should respect her more. She is adorable, but can we please let her live without the cameras and comments which are part of the exploitation.
I agree that she is cute and adorable. That is why she is exploited.
Okay, confirmed with Official Grumpy Cat website that indeed, Tardar and Pokey both have dwarfism. Here is a photo of Tardar and her father.
I just wanted to point out that Tardar Sauce (aka Grumpy cat) is neither a Snowshoe or a Munchkin. She is the offspring of a totally normal calico domestic shorthair and a totally normal male gray tabby domestic shorthair. She just came out looking like a cross between a longhair oriental breed and a munchkin. I totally agree with you that she has some deformity in her legs but it was not the product of intentional breeding. I am also quite sure that she is very beloved by her family. She has a good life. Keep in mind that she isn’t even a year old yet and she’s already become accustomed to the cameras and the attention and she has a great “cattitude” about it — she could care less! I love her to pieces and I’m so sad that she may have health problems, but her owners have had her checked out extensively by a veterinarian and she has no life threatening conditions. She may be disabled, but she is very worthy of a long, well-loved life.
Thank you for your reassurances. It is appreciated.
I didn’t even think this was a real cat at first because I had only seen the photos with stupid captions on Facebook. I just watched him on YouTube and was very saddand as this cat looks very uncomfortable. I don’t think this is funny at all…
I don’t find it funny either. It seems to me that insensitive idiots find it funny. Sorry if that insults someone. It is just the way I feel about it.
I agree with the writer here. I saw a video in which the owner or caregiver was giving an interview and the cat was sitting on a table trying to drink from a bowl of water and the woman was having to stick her fingers into the water and bring it up to Tardar Sauce’s face. I do believe that this cat has deformities and is being exploited which in turn would be exactly why the owners would not disclose if this was indeed the case. It wouldn’t be so funny to laugh at an animal that can’t eat or drink without assistance and is being kept alive solely for our amusement now would it?
Thank you Melissa for that added bit of information. I agree with your last sentence.
What a shame some people enjoy laughing at a poor crippled animal, to me that makes a person very selfish and shallow.
We don’t have to be hypersensitive to feel sad on behalf of that poor cat being used, we just have to be decent human beings.
Wow Really?
Ya’ll niqqas need jesus.
And you Chris need to go back to school to learn spelling and grammar because what “ya’ll niqqas” means is anyone’s guess so your comment sort of loses any impact lol lol and by the way Jesus begins with a capital J
I don’t like people falsely criticizing PoC,the best web site on the internet and you are one the nicest most caring people ever Micheal.
I’ve read alot of BS from the internet: But this entire article and the sympathetic comments take the cake for hypersensitivity and searching for victimization where there is none. The casting down of judgement upon the cat’s owners who provide love and shelter and kindness to a deformed cat when it would otherwise have been destroyed by people like PETA or a shelter is unforgivable on your parts. YOU are the one twisting “Tartar Sauce” into “Tard.” Not the owners. You are the one saying the cat is in discomfort and isn’t being taken care of, a cat you’ve never not once handled or seen in person or even spoken to the owners on the phone about. You have too much time on your hands, and the collective crybaby hypersensitive emo knee-jerk heart bleeding on here is too much to handle. It’s time to grow up.
So Marty the video above where the cat creeps away to hide is OK is it?
Cats only hide away when ill,in pain or frightened.
YOU grow up and learn a bit about cats.
Thanks Rose. Nice one. Love your support.
It is but I am of the firm belief that I am more grown up than you. I feel that you are living in age that is about 50 years behind me. I would advise you to read more and travel more. Broaden the mind.
I am far from “hypersensitive”. I am just thinking about the cat rather than making a fast buck.
as to knee jerk your comment truly smacks of a knee jerk reaction.
Ok, so I was happy just loving grumpy cat. I thought it was just a picture someone caught where the cat was just making a funny face. BUT then I saw the videos, and The Today Show special, and it kind of made me want to look more deeply into the cats situation, because the pictures of grumpy cat made me fall in love with her. She does look like she is trying to just get away from them in the videos. Though on The Today Show, Tarder is just sitting there all content. That cat had been put on a plane, was in a different location, and was seemed ok with that. That seems odd to me. Then I looked at her name. It isnt spelled like tartar sauce that you eat. It is spelled like Tard, like an insult to the disabled. So maybe they dont mistreat the cat they named Tarder and call Tard, and maybe they do. We dont know and we are left to speculate. And they got a kitten, maybe.it was starving and they were doing the moral thing and didnt have the funds.to get it spayed and it got pregnant. Would it be ethical to let the kitty die, or to try to help it? So maybe they werent irresponsible pet owners for Tarders conception. And they maybe be using the money to.feed tarder, the economy is still not great right now. They do need to provide for her. And some times exploitation isnt bad. How many disabled or special needs cats may have been adopted because of grumpy cat? We dont know. With all that being said, I agree with you, and I dont at the same time. I do think they could have chosen a better name, and I do think they could stop chasing her with the video camera so much. But I will say this, I was.worried about grumpy cat, that is how I found this site, and after you read the debate here and go back to her page and see her pictures it does make you wonder their intentions. I just cant get over the fact that she is disabled and they named her TARDer sauce. That seems insensitive in itself.
Thank you, Heather, for your comment. Tardar Sauce smacks of the word “retarded” doesn’t it? It seems that way to me and that alone shows disrespect for a disabled cat.
Here is a page put out by Tard’s owners with facts about her. They say she is healthy and not suffering at all (and was not bred like that on purpose). http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/
Thank you. But the about Grumpy cat page says almost nothing about her. Mixed breed with some Snowshoe or Ragdoll. What about some dwarf cat? Where did they acquire the cat? Grumpy looks like a breeding mistake.
This article is trolling to the max. That or you’re just a left wing nut with a liberal arts degree. I’ll be buying myself a grumpy cat T-shirt, to support this ‘exploitation’ which some of the sale goes to shelter. If you go onto their website it clearly says,
‘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!’
Enough said. Grumpy Cat is simply badass,
It is not trolling, whatever that means in this context. I am just expressing my views on my site. You’d do better to be more polite but I am quite laid back about rude comments. I am not a left wing nut with an arts degree. I have a law degree from the University of London, London, UK. Politically I am center. I stick by my original assessment and am convinced I am correct. Enjoy your T-shirt.
Michael you claim that you are against the exploitation of disabled animals for any purpose yet you filmed your own 3 legged cat for higher hits? There is nothing you can say that makes you any better than Tardar Sauce’s family
I have already admitted on this website that I have in the past (a couple of years ago or so) failed as you state. That does not preclude from declaring my views on my own site. Although the video of Charlie is more a celebration of a disabled cat and I made almost no money out of it. You are entitled to your own views. I completely accept them. I believe I am behaving better in respect of cat care than Grumpy Cat’s owners though.
Hey guys, the official website is moderately helpful in answering questions about her breed, treatment and vet visits.
I’m sorry Micheal, I wasn’t trying to make you take responsibilty for everyone’s comments on your site. I tried to make comments related to things you’d written or comments you had agreed with but I wasn’t particularly thorough in checking.
Just so I can understand your opinion better, do you believe it’s wrong to make money on all animals? Common examples that come to mind are performing animals, service animals along with animal photography? Do you feel like any money made from use of an animal should be donated to charity?
Thankyou for clarifying,
Cath
I think “working animals” are OK provided they are treated properly. I am against circus animals. I am against performing animals. I am for therapy animals. I am for photography of animals provided the photograph respects the animal. I am against exploiting disabled animals for any purpose. I am against videos of frightened cats who are growling in self defence because they are in a cage with a bloody video camera stuffed in their face. I hate stupid comments under stupid exploitative videos of cats.
My attitude depends on the individual circumstances of each situation.
I am not against all situations where money is made from an animal. So for example Helmi Flick’s photos of cats are obviously fine. They respect the cat and the pictures are used responsibly.
Although I personally don’t see how sharing photos of your cat with disabilities is any worse than sharing photos of your perfectly normal cat I do have to respect and appreciate your enthusiasm for the proper treatment of animals. If everyone was as carful as you there would not be a problem with animal abuse or exploitation.
So as I said I do not agree with you on what equates to mistreatment but I don’t think your viewpoint is harmful in any way and that makes me happy. Keep loving cats:)
Thanks Cath. Sharing photos or videos of cats with disabilities is OK if it is for the purposes of instruction but if it is for the purposes of titillation, amusement and money making it is immoral as it does not respect the cat. Thanks again for coming to the site and commenting.
Hey Michael,
Here is a link that has the owners answering quite a few of the questions you raised about breeding, donations.
http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/
I’m a little surprised more people haven’t looked this up…it took me mere seconds of Internet browsing to find answers about Tardar Sause.
I scrolled though the comments and realize that your argument has kinda changed to not be about these issues any more but I thought you still might want to check it out:)
Cheers
Cat
Thanks Cath, I visited the site and read some comments but I don’t see answers. We don’t know if she is in discomfort. The owners say she is not in discomfort but how do they know. And the owners say her mother is “a calico domestic short hair cat and her father has grey and white stripes.” Yet Grumpy cat looks like a dwarf snowhoe cat. Something is going on. And when they say they are donating part of the money to charity, what percentage comes to mind. A part could be 5% or less. No idea.
The real questions are not being answered. I don’t believe the owners.
Micheal,
I really appreciate how much you care for animals. As their caregivers we have a responsibility to be respectful and humane.
Just remember that sometimes our view can be clouded when something like a disability comes into play, especially when we are loving sympathetic people. i
I don’t doubt that their is some discomfort for Tarder, he is deformed and I’m sure their are aches and pains that come along with that. But that doesn’t mean it’s the owners can do anything to stop it. As far as we can no as the “consumers” of grumpy cat photos he has been to the vet and is in good health considering his condition.
Now we may very on our views in the following but I grew up on a farm. We had animals that were born occasionally with deformities. None of it ever had to do with interbreeding or us in any way harming the animals. Genetics can be tricky and assuming that owners are being negligent because an animal is born deformed is slightly offensive. I also noticed comments about them being bad owners because their calico cat was pregnant in the first place and although I am a huge supporter on spaying cats just to stop over population and poor kittens not having a proper home that still doesn’t make the cat owners terrible for choosing not to as they may have wanted to have a “planned pregnancy” at some point. I know a similar situation happened to one of our dogs. I couldn’t tell you which of the many neighbours dog was the culprit but we had a unplanned animal pregnancy.
As far as the breed they say in the article that they think Tarder might be a snowshoe or a ragdoll. Back to my puppy experience, our dogs puppies came our looking very much like Newfoundlander although none of the Neighbour dogs appeared to be. Mutts, mixed breeds have all sorts of wonderful surprise genetics and animals come out looking different than expected.
The last thing I think we should remember has more to do with the ethics of the situation. This is a little tricky. As far as the treatment of the cat I think we are assuming either way. From what I can see their is no signs of abuse. Comments like “look at that cats sad eyes, or grumpy appearance” really make no sense. Someone mentioned anthromorphising and project and I do think that’s something we all need to be aware of when it comes to animals. It clouds our judgement and isn’t always logical.
You mentioned that you are 65, so their may also be a slight generation gap in seeing that so many pictures of an animal doesn’t mean it’s be attacked by the paparazzi. I literally have 1500 pictures and videos of my kitten on my phone. My cat doesn’t care. I crawl around on the floor when I’m playing with her and take pictures of her running away or sleeping. The fact that there is so many pictures of Tarter makes me happy because they are spending time with him. My cat doesn’t care if I’m taking pictures of her any more that if I’m taking pictures of anything in my home. And as far as sharing those pictures why should they feel any worse than anyone else that post pictures of their cats on the Internet? Am I or anyone else ethically wrong for doing this? Why is it different for them? People enjoy “grumpy cat”.
If videos of my kitten went viral on the Internet and I chose not to donate any of the money that would not be wrong, that would be my choice. Things do not change because of the animals deformity.
You are right, there is a chance of abuse but the evidence doesn’t point to it any more than it points to them taking care of the animal. Jumping to the assumption that an animal is abused seems a little unreasonable to me.
Just things to ponder on.
Thanks for your time,
Cat
Thanks for the comment Cath. I have not read all the comments. I just respond to comments that refer to my post. I forget what I said but I don’t think I said the cat is “abused” but exploited for financial gain. That is my big problem; the exploitation for money. There is no doubt that the owners are making money out of Grumpy cat and some is going to charity but how much? If all of it less expenses went to charities to help disabled cats that would be morally acceptable to me. At the moment I find the situation morally unacceptable. That is my view and I stick by it. I accept your ideas too but don’t agree with them all.
Wow, some of the presumptions you all have made for the sake of vilifying these people is amazing, especially considering that they have a website where they directly contradict many of these claims. If you want to form ill opinions of them based on the truth then so be it, but don’t make stuff up and then hate people for the stuff you fabricated.
I have not made stuff up. I have simply put forward my viewpoint on my site and have yet to receive a solid response. Your comment does not add to the debate. I have no made presumptions. I have asked questions. It does not even matter if they contradict what I say. They are still exploiting their ill and deformed cat for financial gain.
I’m not saying you. I’m saying some of these comments.
Sorry Nick I missed that. I answer comments from a database part of the site without reference to the whole comment stream.
No one has presumed anything,we’ve voiced our opinions and had a discussion that’s all and it’s refreshing to be able to do so without moderation and that makes PoC more or less unique, Micheal being very fair to ALL visitors and also very open minded.
Thanks Rose, your support is very important to me. As you say I try and be open to all views and respect all views. It is the only way to achieve harmony and make progress.
Could be the poor little deformed unhappy cat is the result of interbreeding which often happens in neighbourhoods where irresponsible people don’t bother to have their cats neutered.Neighbours take kittens from the litters and if they don’t have them neutered either it’s inevitable that eventually they breed with their own parents or siblings.
It is of course against the law for closely related humans to mate because of the risk of mental or physical deformity.
Agreed. Thanks Rose. If Grumpy cat was not deliberately bred as a purebred cat that went wrong due to inbreeding perhaps then is was random breeding that went wrong. The coat informs me that this cat is badly bred purebred cat. The markings are of a Snowshoe cat and the body of a dwarf cat.
The implication I have received from ALL of the owners’ comments and statements on their website and youtube videos about Tardar Sauce are that THEY bred her. They’re not even completely sure of her parentage (due to “promiscuous cats”?!?! WTF) but his father is PROBABLY a neighbor’s cat who wanders around. There really can be no doubt that they are completely irresponsible pet owners. I am genuinely disgusted with this whole thing, that poor little kitty. People are the worst!!
I have two cats and even my 17-year old cat who is grumpy and old would never let a stranger pick him up like that without clawing for his life. That cat is sick or has been tranquilized.
I own a dog with bone deformities in both front legs and shes absolutly as happy as can be, just because the cat has a deformitie doesnt mean its in pain, if you’ve ever owned cats you know that at times their a bit grumpy 😛 or you could get one that just doesnt like to play, it’s how cats are, so calm down and enjoy the beauty the is Tard the Grumpy cat, because it’s aboarble, and I’m sure she makes a lot of people happy and brings a lot of joy, laughs, and smiles
Tard looks grumpy because of bone deformities not because she is grumpy. We don’t know if she is in discomfort. She looks it. And finally, I am very calm indeed. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
The facts are…they love their cat and there are several videos of her playing and cuddling. While her nickname isn’t very PC, she is a cat…she doesn’t know that “Tard” is a rude name, and since that’s what her previous owners named her…making her respond to a new name would confuse her. Finally, they donate a large % of what they make to animal charities and shelters. Their cat was born different…they aren’t exploiting it, they’re giving her a following of loving supporters and using her differences to raise money for other animals who might not be adopted because they look different.
James, you put up a good argument. Well done. But (a) I’ll need some evidence that what you say is true (I am not saying you are not saying the truth I just need more that words in a comment) and (b) it is still morally wrong to do this and that applies to all cat videos of a similar kind and there are lots. I still object to it and the cat’s owner are still making money from their cat and it could be quite a lot now as film companies are involved.
Also they made the videos with the intention of making money not to help cats in general. This is exploitation of a disabled cat no matter how you dice the arguments and try and justify the whole thing.
There is no “previous owner”. Tardar Sauce is a result of their neighbor’s cat wandering by and mating with their unspayed female.
Was the unspayed female purebred? The markings on Tardar are very unusual for a moggie and Tardar is a dwarf cat too. That is also rare.
you people need to find something worth worrying about
I am not worried about Tard. I gave up doing that sort of thing years ago. I am just concerned about the lack of decency across YouTube in exploiting domestic cats. I have to right to express that concern. Also I think it is an important point. Something you have missed. It goes to the heart of our relationship with the cat. The Grumpy Cat video and other similar videos shows our general disrespect for the domestic cat.
how do you feel about the current “dog shaming” trend? I’m seeing more and more videos of cat shaming popping up.
Never heard of it until you mentioned it. It seems to be an extension of the cheeseburger concept. For me it is generally harmless but stupid. What happens is that webmasters want to find a new concept to make bucks and then jump on new ideas. Web surfers are bored and want to visit new fun sites. It is bored humans chasing a bit of fun and webmasters making a few bucks from that idle amusement.
It is generally not immoral because the dogs are healthy and the captions are just fun but it is a form of mild exploitation nonetheless.
Cats ARE worth worrying about Jane!
I agree,I hope that Tard is being taken care of properly,and hope that he is not in pain,with all the money being made from the way he looks I hope so.I think he should be given a break from the constant camera in his face and get some real play time.
Thank you Susan for your support. Thanks too for visiting.
That poor cat Grumpy looks very unhappy & obviously she’s very ill & in chronic pain; Ms Kim Kardashian was given a pure white kitten her name was Mercy but every picture taken of her she looked very depressed, angry or ill. Ms Kardashian gave Mercy to a lady, sadly few weeks later she died of inoperable cancer. Not an overnight problem at all.
Anytime a young kitten/puppy is adopted it’s very important to have a vet checked them out. There’s no excuse nor reason not to, just imagine the horrible pain/discomfort Mercy was in, what makes it even worse money was not the issue but neglicence seemingly was.
Southeast Arizona (USA)
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!
Wow, I had no idea! I feel bad now. If her owner is profiting from her, she should invest funds to help her with her ailments it would seem.
Poor little angel.
The eyes are a window to the soul. Cover the down turned mouth so that it can’t influence your perception and look just at the eyes of this cat. She’s not happy.
You know I agree. I sense that she is not happy. There is something wrong and it is more than her appearance. You know grumpiness or irritability in cats is a sign of discomfort and pain. Thanks for the comment Ruth. Nice observation.
Your video was quite different than these grumpy cat videos, Michael. Charlie was obviously happy in your video. You showed that a three legged cat can have a great life, despite his disability.
Any changes from normal gait are less energy efficient, place the animal at greater risk of arthritis and can cause muscle pain and stiffness. I’m sure this is true of Charlie as well. I don’t find anything funny about an antalgic gait. Even if right now the cat is not in pain, the odds are, she will be from arthritis and other problems in the future. There is just nothing entertaining about this sad looking little cat, even though her sad expression is probably just due to her bone structure. She looked frightened in the video, like she just wanted to find a place to hide. A cat with physical problems walks the best she can to find a place to hide. Why is this video getting hits?
You are taking this completely out of proportion. The owners HAVE provided a full report and doctors have concluded that grumpy cat is just fine, its a description on one of their youtube videos. It is a birth defect. I had a cat just like her and she got along just fine. The shortness of the frontal legs caused waddling but other than that she functioned just like any normal cat.
Thanks for the comment. Appreciated. But I couldn’t find the report. Also how do vets know if a cat is comfortable and not in pain? How do they conclude he is fine? The only way to diagnose discomfort and pain is through questions and answers. Cats can’t provide the information and also cats hide pain. Vets don’t know if cats are in pain unless they do an operation and deduce through common sense that there will be post-operation pain.
Also the major point I make is that people should not exploit disability in animals unless we are celebrating something good about them. In Grumpy cat we are just amused by his deformed face. Is that the right thing to do? I know you won’t agree with that. I have done it myself indirectly in a video of my three-legged cat. It was a video in praise of him but ultimately I made the video to get hits. That was wrong of me and I won’t do that sort of thing again. YouTube promotes the exploitation of cats.
By that logic, we shouldn’t post *any* pictures or videos of cats online since you never know if any of them may be in pain.
I don’t think you have got my point. Grumpy cat is a known disabled cat (distorted skeleton and facial bones) that looks funny. That is what is wrong. It is disrespectful. If a cat might be in pain it is a completely different situation.
This makes me sad. I just want to hold and love her. She doesn’t seem to be very loved. First there’s that horrible name, and the fact that they would find her painful gait funny.
Cats know if you are laughing at them at their expense. It’s not nice for a cat if this is constant. Tardar Sauce, asides from being spelled wrong, is a name more fitting of the human who gave it to her, clearly, since its a terribly unattractive name and seems to lack a sense of having been given with love and care. To be fair, we don’t know if she has been taken to the vet and properly analysed. I suspect she might well have been. I wonder what the vet said. Poor thing needs a friend in another cat perhaps and for the humans to back off until she decides to make contact. Humans are opportunists and in that regard they lack principle, so the result in this case is for the humans and the cat most likely gets nothing out of the scenario except a shy character and annoyances probably.
I agree Mark, she may have been assessed and assessed as OK health wise. But (a) the internet does not provide answers that I could see on a quick search. The YouTube Channel (run by the cat’s owner I presume) doesn’t provide any explanations and I think the cat’s owner should explain fully the cat’s medical condition to reassure grumpy guys like me that she is OK and (b) she is disabled really, if you want to describe her condition in human terms, and I don’t think it is fair to exploit that. We wouldn’t do it with people and get away with it. It would be deemed improper and unethical. So we do we enjoy doing it to a cat?
Also even vets don’t know when cats are in discomfort or in pain (for sure). The fact that achondroplasia can cause other health problems it would be fair to say that these health problems may produce some discomfort or worse. We don’t know. I don’t think it is suitable to treat this cat as an entertainer. I am sure most people will disagree with me but that’s me.
This is how other websites abuse and use Grumpy cat. In this case putting a smile on the face using Photoshop image editing software. I strongly feel this is wrong. Although people find it funny. I don’t
“The YouTube Channel (run by the cat’s owner I presume) doesn’t provide any explanations and I think the cat’s owner should explain fully the cat’s medical condition to reassure grumpy guys like me that she is OK”
so they should accomodate you because you are an asshole drama queen?
🙂 thanks. If you are referring to me as an “asshole drama queen” I am amused. I really am. If you met me you’d reassess that comment I am sure. I am anything but a drama queen. Neither and I am asshole. But I am a person who likes to at least try and do things in a decent manner. And you are correct, why is there nothing on their YouTube channel that explains in detail what the medical condition is etc.? Nothing.
If you were to google for more info and videos, you would see more videos of Tardar Sauce, such as with her family on the Today show, or this video made afterward with their daughter giving her cat a sweet little voice as well as affection and a treat:
Do you think St. Jude should stop publishing pictures of their bald-from-chemo children? Exploitation has a positive side, too.
I’ve been blessed to have many cats in my care for 46 years – including disabled cats – and where you see shame and exploitation, I see a contented, calm and sometimes mildly bewildered cat. Her family seems quietly bemused at her fame; in their interviews they don’t come across as opportunists.
Believe me, when you become close to a cat, you can tell when they’re in pain. Only her family knows. Also, not every cat is a cuddler, many love to be near people but not touched.
The images Tardar’s family create for their site and the images other people create as memes are completely different things. I see a family who happened to have two adorable, roly-poly and unique cats, who share the pictures and simple captions with humor and respect.
RE: making money from Tardar and Pokey, they’re already raising money for animal charities, who knows what else good they might do, as the world is watching? If either Tardar or Pokey develop any health problems, I’m sure their family will have enough money to give them the best care. Both cats are so firmly in the public eye, there’s no way anyone could harm or neglect them and get away with it.
You seem quite focused in a negative way on Tardar’s unique shape and traits. Why is that? I ask because millions of people have been able to see past her – as you call them – “deformities” to see her beautiful blue eyes, shiny luxurious coat, round little shape and contented demeanor.
Tardar has brought so many smiles to so many people, I’m glad her family chose to share her with us. I encourage you and your readers to make a donation in her name to your local animal shelter, since you obviously care so deeply.
Now pipe the f**k down.
You didn’t have to spoil a decent comment with a rude ending. I completely stand by what I have written. You don’t know how this cat feels. You can only guess. We know she has bone deformities and that can cause at the very least discomfort. You say she has made people smile etc. Have you read the stupid comments on YouTube, which I find disrespectful? A lot people on YouTube are idiots who just like to get some fun out of strange looking cats doing odd thing. It is so base and idiotic.
Bottom line: Grumpy cat is essentially not a well cat. She should be cared for really well and it should be done in private. That is my opinion and I am not being rude to others when I write that. I respect other people’s views provided the person is polite. You have not been.
yes I did use a lot of cheek, I apologize. PTFD is a current popular meme thing, hard to explain, and I got carried away. I’m sorry I posted that on your site.
Michael, you said, “Bottom line: Grumpy cat is essentially not a well cat. She should be cared for really well and it should be done in private.” but that’s what people used to do, put “not well” people in sanatoriums and asylums. their families would choose to shut them away from the rest of society for being blind, deaf, mentally challenged or lame. now we have all sorts of people with “deformities” able to live freely out in the open, to compete and excel as is normal for humans.
some cats – and dogs – thrive on attention, perhaps not being cuddled and scritched all the time but simply carried around, fawned over and doted upon. i’m disabled and I’ve had so many disabled friends and acquaintances who can’t communicate “normally” with the public, but enjoy going out with their loved ones or caregiver and meeting new people, generating smiles and shaking hands. it’s shocking to realize those same people would have been isolated to an institution less than a century ago!
mean people will always be mean people and ridicule those who are different, online and offline. I’m thankful there are more good people in the world who celebrate others’ differences and enjoy their company.
I know my Nikki of 22 years thrived from all the attention she got in public. Nikki was parts Bombay, Siamese and Japanese Bobtail, she had a bent tail and talked quite a lot, in that gravelly Siamese voice. her eyes were flattish across the tops, so she always appeared to be grumpy and sounded truly curmudgeonly, sometimes even scolding, but she’d be purring up a storm!
Nikki had arthritis from early on, and with her meds and holistic treatment such as massage and physical therapy she did really well, and even though her front legs and paws became “deformed” she had such a long and happy life. 🙂 i’m disabled with early-onset arthritis, so i understood her body language, could tell when she was in pain. she absolutely hated being home without me, so I wore her in an infant carrier modified just for her and I took Nikki everywhere a miniature dog would go. she’d been to oceans and mountains and all around the world!
Nikki was constantly being petted, giggled at, fussed over and having her picture taken. an old-fashioned version of a meme, I guess? 🙂 I wish I had thought to take many more pictures of her to put online, because she would become so calm and still whenever she saw the camera, as if to say, “of course i’m gorgeous! worship me!” my point is, she blossomed and thrived from all the attention, all her life. I see Tardar as being in that category. if I could have raised money for charity in the same way with my Nikki, you can bet I would have done it, because she received so much love from her “fans” and I know it enriched both our lives greatly.
i think it’s awesome that Tardar lives with her natural brother, mother and father. it’s so rare for a pet to stay with their parents and siblings! I sometimes wonder if she has the cat equivalent of Down’s Syndrome, I’ve seen similar cats who are simply content just to be around others day and night, and they benefit from touch so greatly.
I hope my experience with Nikki can offer a different picture, from the cat carer’s point of view. she passed away September 9, 2009, after having a sudden stroke with mini-strokes after that affected her entire body. I found a kind vet who had a special room for people to cuddle with their dying pets. she was purring right up to the last.
purring in my lap right this moment is her lifetime companion, Karma. she’ll be 17 in May. she doesn’t like cameras or going out and meeting people, and she shows her displeasure with great enthusiasm!
When I say “in private” I obviously don’t mean in some sort of cat asylum. I mean at home with the cat’s guardian without being splashed all over the internet and gawped at and laughed at etc. I am convinced this is the decent option. We are in an age of celebrity and being famous for 5 minutes. I feel the owners are seeking a bit of fame and money through their cat and at the expense of their cat. That’s all. It is disrespectful to the disabled animal to show off disability and make money from it. It is crude human behaviour. It lacks refinement and taste. It is immoral in my view.
For me it is obviously bad behavior but in the modern word and with YouTube’s encouragement it seems that taste and decency have been eroded and lost in large part. A lot of young people in particular don’t know what good taste and decent behaviour is.
Melly you’re living a pipe dream; obviously you were impacted positively, emotionally, by this meme and are looking for any way to rationalize this emotion; you cannot bear for it to be deemed hateful or hurting. That said, I don’t believe it is hateful or hurting, but the means you go to justify your position are hilarious:
“You seem quite focused in a negative way on Tardar’s unique shape and traits. Why is that? I ask because millions of people have been able to see past her – as you call them – “deformities””
I lol’d at this quote. Honestly, I laughed out loud. I don’t think anyone could possibly take you seriously after that.
Smart comment. I like it because it is smart. Thanks too for highlighting it. I tend to miss stuff because I am old and don’t want to read everything. Personally I think most of the world is blind to what they are doing. They live on their emotions and instincts when they should think a bit more and match up to what they think they are, better and smarter than animals, which they are not.
Leave the cat alone. You obviously haven’t done any researching besides just looking at pictures on the internet and watching videos….and generally making your OWN assumptions. Are you a cat doctor? If you had done the appropriot research you would know that Tardar is well taken care of, and that she was NOT, in fact, bred to be a dwarf. I’ve never met you but i can definately tell you’re one of those people who would argue to wall just to hears yourself speak. Shush up and leave the cat alone. Or if you’re really that concerned, I’m sure you could get ahold of Tabatha and she would be more than happy to share Tardar’s full H&P with you. Jeez.
It is not me who should leave the cat alone it is the owners. They are exploiting her and you have no idea by how much.
Michael, you literally just said “You don’t know how this cat feels,” yet your entire post is based on what you think this cat is feeling.
You should maybe try looking at the “About Me” section of the website: http://www.grumpycats.com/about-grumpy-cat/ where the family does in fact explain Tardar’s condition, her photos/videos/appearances, and her behavior on daily basis.
Aside from the charities this family donates to, Grumpy Cat is a mood changer for the millions (billions?) of fans she has. She brightens people’s days with her scowl because she’s relate-able. Lil Bub helped her owner out of depression, and he promotes that message with everything Bub does in the spotlight. These cats have the ability to move people. And by the looks of things, they’re treated just fine. I’m sure with the amount of attention Grumpy Cat gets, anyone would report otherwise.
Maybe do some research next time.
Yes, I am speculating and putting forward an alternative viewpoint and one that is very concerned about the cat. Also, I think I am better qualified to speculate. At least I am speculating. The owners have only one thing on their minds – making money form their cat.
I have done research. I completely stick by my post and it has proved to be accurate. You are saying that these cats brighten up people’s lives. Yes, maybe but that is a very selfish attitude, using the cat. What about the cat being carted around the place and manhandled by strangers everywhere. Cats don’t like that sort of thing and I believe that Grumpy may be in discomfort because of her skeletal deformities.
Really? It’s proved accurate? Please show me the proof and the researched you’ve compiled to back that statement up. Please provide the proof that GC is being mistreated or exploited purely for money, and that her health is being ignored.
You have your pets because they brighten your day and make you happy, don’t you? Does that make you selfish? I post pictures of my cat all the time and I’m not abusing or exploiting him. He lives a happy and loved life. My friends enjoy the photos.
I don’t know your profession, or why you’re more qualified to say your opinion matters more. Are you a vet? Even so, it doesn’t make you an expert on every animal, especially those you have not met, or have not even seen in person.
I’m a social worker currently working with the homeless population. I’m not qualified to generalize every person in this population. I can’t say how EVERY SINGLE person within the population feels, especially not based on videos or photos.
Finally, you’ve never met or spoken with this family–have you? So who are you to say they are using Grumpy Cat purely for money? Maybe you have that somewhere in all of your “proof.”
It’s one thing to be concerned for the welfare of an animal. It’s another to make accusations based on your feelings, and what YOU think the cat is feeling. Especially when you’re dismissing what others think.
I think you have misunderstood me. The exploitation went from strength to strength. That is what I mean. I am surprised you can’t see that. Actually, I am not. What one sees depends on one’s attitude towards cats. For me cat owners are caretakers. We should be concerned with one thing: welfare. What the owners of Grumpy Cat are doing is not in the best interests of the cat’s welfare. The focus is on making money from the cat at the expense of the cat’s quality of life.
No, because it is not exploitative. That must be obvious.
I am not a vet but I understand cats having studied them for many years. Most importantly I am empathetic and sympathetic towards cats, which is why I wrote the article. You can tell can’t you?
It is not about what I think the cat is feeling. It is about exploitation of a disabled, deformed cat to amuse voyeurs. It is like a Victorian freak show almost.
You’ll never understand that as long as you are thinking in a human-centric way.
I don’t know what “the exploitation went from strength to strength” is supposed to mean or why we’ve invited the bible into the conversation. But sure, okay.
I haven’t seen a video of Grumpy Cat being “manhandled” and not every cat hates being taken places. I’ve heard plenty of stories citing the opposite. PETA even attended one of her events and approved how the family went about it. They limit her exposure to actual crowds and events and rarely let people hold or touch her. They’ve talked about how she has a clean bill of health and gets regular check-ups. Could they be lying? Sure. But considering the attention on them, it’s highly unlikely.
I never said we weren’t caretakers, hence the “my cat lives a loved life” statement. Of course we are. Are most people making money off of their pets? No. Should people make money off of their pets? It’s a matter of opinion. If the animal is not being harmed in any way, then I don’t think there’s a problem–especially if the money made is also being used for good and not just profit. This isn’t a circus act, so screaming maltreatment to the masses makes me nervous.
Of course there are ridiculous amounts of animals that are abused, neglected, and mistreated. It’s the unfortunate truth that many suffer a terrible fate in the name of human entertainment. I personally hate horse-drawn carriages and I despise the NYC industry. But there is documented proof of their maltreatment and neglect. There’s an enormous faction of people who don’t believe they should be on roads and in traffic with cars and trucks. Grumpy Cat being scared in a video or two isn’t proof to me that she’s unhappy. My cat gets disinterested and gets scared of things sometimes. Having a camera there wouldn’t incite that. And contrary to what you posted, this cat isn’t in front of the camera day and night and the family clearly states this. But these days, most of our pets are in front of our camera phones anyway. Some of us see it as a sign of affinity. I share pictures of my cat because I think he’s awesome. And he is awesome. I don’t think this family set out to monetarily gain from her condition. I think they posted a photo, she grew popular and in demand, and they are appealing to people who sincerely adore the cat. They’re doing it without hurting or neglecting her at this point.
And I get your argument, you feel like she shouldn’t be in the spotlight at all. That’s a matter of opinion, and your opinion is yours. If that’s what your article was about I wouldn’t have posted anything in response. But your article is about how you think she’s ill and uncomfortable, and you claim her family isn’t properly caring for her in regards to her dwarfism “deformities.” You’ll have to pardon me if I don’t think a couple of videos where she seems disinterested proves that claim. And I don’t care how long you’ve studied cats, if you’re not a vet then you are not more “qualified” assume what the cat is feeling. Or to accuse a family of medical neglect. That’s MY point, sorry if you’re misunderstanding me.
I love and respect animals, and clearly you do as well. Don’t question my empathy for an animal if you don’t know me. And just like I noticed you did not like being insulted, don’t refer to me and other admirers of a special animal who, to our knowledge is not being harmed, as voyeurs.
I’m done here. Good luck to you.
You should know really. It obviously means more and more successful selling of the cat by her owners in various places and on products etc.
That is the article. It is about respecting the cat and making the cat’s life as good as possible. That is the “domestic cat deal”. We agree to that when we adopt a cat.
I’m a vet nurse and I agree totally with Michael that this cat is being exploited. The video clip I saw of her creeping away to hide from the constant attention on her was enough to tell me she is unhappy and only wants to be left in peace,
It says it all that you think it’s justifiable to use her because ‘she brightens peoples days with her scowl’
It is NOT a scowl, it’s a deformity and because of that and her other deformities, she is being cheated of the life a cat likes and has the right, to live, peacefully with home comforts and people who love her for herself.
You say ‘You have your pets because they brighten your day and make you happy, don’t you?’
Actually no we true cat lovers do NOT, we have our pets because we love them and want to care for them as cats need to be cared for. That they brighten our day and make us happy is a bonus to us!
Thanks Ruth.
MY POINT IS THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW SHE IS BEING CHEATED OUT OF THAT LIFE. Nor does EVERY SINGLE CAT enjoy the exact same things.
You have absolutely NO PROOF that this family is neglecting her medical needs. They state clearly that she has very limited appearances and that rarely do people other than family get to hold or even touch her. They take “photo shoots” of the cat once a week. Mostly of the cat doing cat things in their yard or around the house. The abundance of photos is from these photo shoots and allows them to post “the daily grump” without actually exposing her to camera’s DAY AND NIGHT. Nothing any of you have said has any semblance of proof that this cat is being mistreated.
To me you all sound like chauvinistic and pretentious crybabies. You know nothing about me, just like you know nothing about this family, or how we treat or care for our animals. I “truly” love my cat and I “truly” take care of him and I wouldn’t have ever had any pets if I didn’t. I do not think it’s at all selfish to admit that part of the reason I have a cat is because he makes me happy. It’s a mutual relationship. I take care of him and love him, he brightens my day.
I can’t even stand to read these comments anymore, they are so unbelievably accusatory and absurd. Get over yourselves.
KJ let’s leave it there because we are miles apart in mentality and our attitude towards cat caretaking. I hope you get over your barrier to understanding what I am stating.
Do you agree with declawing cats? What is your attitude towards feral cats?
KJ go to Youtube and watch some of the videos about this poor cat, see her pestered when she only wants some peace, see her mauled about and laughed at by strangers. See her trying to hide away!
I saw four today which was enough because they sickened me, but unfortunately this site won’t let me post the links.
One was a man trying to ‘cheer her up’
The only thing that would ‘cheer her up’ is being left to enjoy her life as a cat, without being toted about and gawped at by people who obviously don’t give a thought to what she really wants to do herself.
you are a hypocrite sir!!!!! you told that woman ‘she didnt know’ how the cat feels….how the h@ll do you know??? you seem to be calling the shots about this cats’ mental and physical state! but you sir do not know yourself! yes, the cat obviously has short front legs, but who’s to say this cat is or is not in any kind of distress? and if you look closely at a lot of different cats, you will se different variations of a frown! so that sir may or may NOT be a deformity! so before you perform a useless and arrogant rant on the internet and act like some sort of vigilante cat god, make sure you have valid facts or at least half a brain!
I was not ranting but you certainly are. I don’t know how she feels either but I do now she is deformed and deformities can bring discomfort and I do know that hawking your cat around photo sessions like some fairground freak show is not what cats like. Most cats find that sort of thing stressful.
Melly you obviously don’t know just how much money Michael gives to animal charities near and far, he doesn’t profit at all himself from this wonderful web site.
We his loyal readers also support animal charities so you pipe the f**k down to use your own disgusting insulting language and leave this wonderful generous and caring man alone!!!!
Yes what a cheek talking like that to Micheal.Are you being sarastic saying he cares so deeply because if you are then that is low and if you are not then you must know his only concern is for that poor little cat’s welfare.
Thanks for the support Rose.
Thanks for your support, Ruth.
Well said!
Well said. It always amazes me how self-righteous people can get when the only facts they have are the ones they make up.
Thank you Barbara.
you have no facts either! my god….you people! who think because you have a computer to hide behind, you can say anything and you are 100% right!!??!! you people were probably the losers in high school that got bullied, so being ignorant ‘bloggers’ is your way of ‘bullying’ back! get over it. the humane society oversees animals in movies duhhh!!! read the end credits sometime! so obviously if there was a severe medical issue with the cat, the owners would be stopped. do u honestly think an animal rights group would let this continue? they are not exploiting the animal…we are!!! if you knew the story you’d know that it all started by the family innocently posting a cpl pics…the more likes, the more viral…so its the public who pushed this cat to the top! demand and supply i say! so please just get off your high horses and do something positive with your obviously lacking lives!!
Sorry but you are wrong. This is not about demand and supply. This is not about the public pushing the owners to exploit their cat. They saw an opportunity and took it big time.
There is no need to be rude just because someone disagrees with you. Just make your views known politely and move on please.
You’re probably right, and there probably is an issue. I haven’t seen the videos,nor do I plan to, but have seen pictures on Facebook. If you feel this way, then don’t stop here, making only a rant, but start up an awareness campaign for animals who have been bred like this and then manipulated for profit.
Thanks Sandra. I don’t feel I ranted. Did I? I think I just explained what I thought in strong terms. I think that is a good thing. If I had the strength and time I’d do as you suggest. I am just too busy as a retired person, which is silly but that is the way things work out sometimes.
WOW so negative. Woud you have preferd thay put her down when she was born because she apears to have a disablity? Justbecause its not published information doen’t mean her owners dont know/ care/ take care or her medical needs.
People are camra shy too!
With respect, I think your comment is “so negative”. I have never suggested that Tardar is put down. That is absurd as the whole tenor of the article is about respecting the cat and her welfare. What I want is for the cat to be cared for well and without fuss and without people gawping at her disability and skeletal deformity and using her picture to make funny captions etc. She is all over the bloody internet. For me, this is cat exploitation, in the same way tiger cubs are exploited. It is just another example. I think you need to step back and look at the wider picture. Get rid of the human psyche for five minutes.
I think Michael was trying to point out that, despite all the hype, it appeared to him that this cat may have medical issues that were causing her pain, and that in his opinion, it might be exploitation of a genetically-challenged animal.
It is a good thing that he is bringing up the subject. Hopefully, her owners have had Veterinary assessment of her situation and are caring for her appropriately.
Thanks for that. I think a vet has checked her out but neither vets nor the public know for sure when a cat is in general discomfort. All vets do is palpate the body and if the cat responds indicating pain then the assessment is that the cat is in pain. This is pretty crude. It is possible – and I have not seen this written about Tardar – that she is a bit depressed judging by her passive behavior not her face.
OMG. How sick is human who keeps this kind of animal alive? I feel so sorry for cat:(
Thanks for visiting but I think he should be kept alive and loved but not exploited for financial gain.
One, Tardar sauce is a girl.
Two, she is only filmed once a day.
Three, just because she has anchondroplasia, it does not mean she is in pain all the time, the disease does not cause pain, it just effects the shape of bones.
Four, all the attention may be annoying, but she may also like it. She has a nice owner and brother and her owner, Tabatha doesn’t let her be miserable.
Whoops I meant once a week
Hi Megan. I appreciate everyone’s opinions. Thank you for visiting and sharing yours.
When they got Tardar Sauce,that was already her name.She wouldn’t react to any other name so they just stuck with it.
This is totally self serving and sickens me. Definitely NOT LOVE!! She does however have a brother but not certain how much time they spend together considering her innumerable photo shoots!
Thanks for commenting Roxanne. Grumpy Cats owner has made a fortune from her cat ($100m claimed) and exploited her cat mercilessly in my view.