Police forces across the UK and Ireland have issued statements to confirm that viral images and videos depicting a life-sized Cat in the Hat character are fake. The posts, which have been viewed millions of times on platforms like TikTok, have sparked fear and confusion among young people who believe the character is real.
Many of the circulating images, particularly those centred on Irish counties like Limerick and Wexford, have been generated using artificial intelligence. Despite official dismissals of the sightings as fake, the pictures and videos continue to spread online, alongside unverified claims that the Cat in the Hat has been involved in violent assaults.
South Yorkshire Police has denied social media claims of a 'killer Cat in the Hat' and advised the public to check for official policing accounts when seeing online updates. The trend has also seen some users post videos of individuals in Cat in the Hat costumes, with captions suggesting they are coming to specific UK locations.
The phenomenon appears to have gained momentum following an X post on August 8, by DiscussingFilm, about the original Cat in the Hat costume from the 2003 film being auctioned. The costume is predicted to fetch up to $24,000 (£17,500) at an auction scheduled for Wednesday.