A viral Cat In The Hat trend on TikTok has duped scared teens into thinking the character is real and out on the streets.
In recent weeks, the trend has seen what appear to be AI-generated images of the famous Dr Seuss character creepily appearing on the streets after dark.
The images have led to fears among some teenagers, who have been convinced that they are real and that the character is out there.
However, police forces – including in Irish counties such as Limerick and Wexford where many of the clips have been focused – have issued statements confirming the TikToks are fake.
“In an unusual turn of events, we are hearing a lot about an illusive Dr Seuss character doing the rounds online, apparently causing havoc in neighbourhoods and towns across the country,” said a spokesperson for Wexford Garda (via The Sentinel).
“Fortunately, we can rule out the issue, which is essentially an AI prompt that places the character into images/videos of familiar places. To be clear, the Cat in the Hat was not in your driveway while you were out and he is not currently hiding out in Curracloe.”
South Yorkshire Police have also denied a fake Facebook post claiming they are taking the so-called sightings seriously.
Among the unverified claims surrounding the TikToks circulating online are that the character has been involved in assaults, and that there is a ‘killer’ Cat in the Hat.
Part of the trend was pushed by a viral post on X by DiscussingFilm, which shared that the costume worn by Mike Myers in the 2003 Cat In The Hat film was being auctioned off, with the image of the outfit described as “nightmarish” by one user.
Opening up about the impact of the trend, one teenager called Skye told BBC News: “I was having a sleepover, but everyone started watching Cat in the Hat videos. It was 3am. I wanted to go home. When I started walking down my friends’ driveway, I got totally freaked out that the Cat in the Hat was going to jump out. I had to call my mum to pick me up.”
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