This week,we lost a legend.
The world knew her asGrumpy Cat. Her family knew her as Tardar Sauce. And I knew her as a kind, patient acquaintance, who, in her own way, changed my life.
So when I was assigned to cover a Friskies event, where Grumpy Cat, then just 1 year old,was being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, it became a life highlight before it even happened. I, a self-identifying cat lady since 5, was going to meet the Internet’s meme marvel, the one entity all of Reddit could agree was good. It was hard for me to believe something so beloved and precious was even real, let alone open to sharing the same space with me.
Meeting my hero did not disappoint. Grumpy was physically smaller than I imagined, but her personality was grander. After having a childhood spent chasing cat under couches, it was surprising to find that Grumpy was accepting of all strangers. She let me hold her, pose for photos, pet the adorable bit of fluff on the bridge of her nose. It was true: she was known for her hard face, but this cat was one big softy.
Kelli Bender
It was such an emotionally rewarding experience, it made me realize that working with animals is, for me, more fulfilling than working with people.
It’s sad that I will never see her again, but I find it comforting to know that we had seven years to unite around a little cat that pretended to be bad, so we could all have a bit of good.
source: people.com
