THE INTERNET MOURNS THE DEATH OF TATER TOT THE KITTEN

Tater Tot, the kitten whose grumpy face went viral and turned him into an internet sensation over the summer, died suddenly on Wednesday after a brief illness.

Ash Houghton, who’s been fostering Tater Tot and who first introduced him to the world in a Facebook group aimed at sharing photos of grumpy cats in June, shared the news on social media.

“This tiny little potato has had such a profound impact on my heart, and I am so unbelievably happy I got to share him with the entire world,” she wrote.

In her post, Hougton asked people to make donations to their local cat shelter in honor of Tator Tot.

After going to an orthopedic appointment, Houghton posted photos of Tater Tot, who now had splints on his front legs (referred to as “bonkers”).

From there, Tater Tot’s popularity skyrocketed as people drew fanart of him, memed him, and placed him in the middle of Photoshop battles. 

But even amid the grief, some offered a course of action. Echoing Hougton’s wishes, people could pay it forward to help other cats who might need it.