Grumpy Cat Draws a Crowd, Hates Them

Grumpy Cat emerged from a white limousine in Santa Monica Tuesday and was carried like royalty down a red carpet lined by hundreds of cheering fans gathered for the release of her book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book. She was not amused.

Fans waited for hours outside Kitson boutique for a copy of the book and a photo opportunity with the Internet sensation known for her notorious frown. Grumpy Cat owner Tabatha Bundesen’s daughter, Chrystal Bundesen, named the famous feline Tardar Sauce, but fans of the meme subject know her simply as Grumpy Cat.

Subtitled “disgruntled tips and activities designed to put a frown on your face,” the book includes advice on how to host a grumpy party, highlights of popular memes and a timeline of Grumpy Cat's life.

Justine Valdez of Sherman Oaks waited in line for more than five hours to see the celebrity cat. “Grumpy Cat is so adorable and evil at the same time,” said Valdez. “I read the book in like 10 minutes, and now I have the best tips on how to stay grumpy all day long, all year long.”

“Everybody loves her grumpy face,” said Grumpy Cat’s manager (and Tabatha's brother), Bryan Bundesen. Referring to the expressions fans add to Grumpy Cat’s image, Bundesen said, “We did this book to build on that with something creative and fun.”

Bundesen said keeping up with Grumpy Cat’s notoriety has been a blessing -- a busy blessing. Bundesen works for Time Warner Cable in Ohio and moonlights as the cat’s manager, maintaining the website and social media accounts.

The 1-year-old mixed breed feline catapulted to fame in 2012 after Bundesen posted a photo of her precious pout on Reddit. The attention earned Grumpy Cat a Webby Award for the 2013 Meme of the Year.

In line outside Kitson, San Diego residents John Vargas and Maribel Herrera said they promised each other they’d drive to see Grumpy Cat if she ever made the trip to California from her home in Morristown, AZ. After learning about her Santa Monica book appearance on Facebook, they planned a road trip.

Grumpy Cat isn’t as grumpy as her Web persona illustrates. When she is at home with Tabatha and Chrystal, Bryan Bundesen said Grumpy Cat sleeps most of the day and is active at night. When she isn’t spreading her beloved negativity to her fans, Grumpy Cat enjoys soft chicken treats and playing with string. The family has made six appearances in the past nine months and doesn’t plan on doing a book tour.

"She’s a pet first before she’s a celebrity cat," said Bundesen.