Nestle Purina PetCare extends endorsement contract with Internet star Grumpy Cat through 2014; 2-year-old cat with perpetual frown has 136,000 followers on Twitter, nearly 4 million likes on Facebook

Nevin Barich

Nevin Barich

ST. LOUIS , March 7, 2014 () – Nestle Purina PetCare recently extended its contract with Internet star Grumpy Cat, and the cat with a perpetual frown is helping the pet food giant promoting new products.

St. Louis-based Nestle Purina signed an endorsement deal with Grumpy Cat in September, and the deal was recently extended through 2014, said Shawn Brain, brand manager for Nestle Purina's Friskies cat food. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 2-year-old mixed breed cat who lives with her owner in Phoenix has gained a large following online since her photo was posted on the website Reddit in September 2012. The cat has 136,000 followers on Twitter and nearly 4 million likes on her Facebook page.

Grumpy Cat will appear in a series of events in Austin, Texas, this weekend to help Friskies launch a new flavor for its Seafood Sensations cat food -- shrimp -- which includes the donation of 25,000 meals to the Austin Animal Center, the country's largest no-kill shelter. The donation by Nestle Purina will expand to up to 50,000 meals for every use of the hastag #HolyShrimp on social media from March 7-9.

Grumpy Cat has kept a busy schedule since signing the endorsement deal with Nestle Purina last fall. In October, the cat won a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at Friskies' live awards show in New York. Over the holidays, Grumpy Cat starred in a Friskies video "Hard to be a cat at Christmas" that was viewed more than 2.6 million times on YouTube.

Grumpy Cat's memorable expression makes a strong connection with customers, according to Brain. "She makes a lot of people happy."

Lisa Brown is a business reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Follow her on Twitter @LisaBrownSTL and the Business section @postdispatchbiz.

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