Disturbing Cat in the Hat trend explained after B.C. girl chased home and arrests made in U.S.

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanadaWorld Disturbing Cat in the Hat trend explained after B.C. girl chased home and arrests made in U.S. Videos appearing to show people dressed as a sinister version of the Dr. Seuss character are spreading across Canada and the U.S. Author of the article: By Ellie Hutchings Published Sep 15, 2026 Last updated 52 minutes ago 5 minute read Join the conversation The trend involves online videos depicting a sinister version of the Cat in the Hat outside schools, homes, or on streets at night PHOTO BY SUNMEDIAARCHIVE Article content RCMP in West Kelowna, B.C., are investigating after a teenage girl was chased by a suspect dressed in a Cat in the Hat costume last month. Article content The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. on Aug. 24 and, although the girl was able to reach her residence safely, police are seeking to identify the person in the costume. Article content Article content It comes as a disturbing trend emerges on social media, involving sinister depictions of the children’s book character making threats to individuals and communities in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Article content Article content The posts have prompted police departments and schools to issue warnings about engaging in the trend, which has also resulted in a number of arrests. Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content What is the Cat in the Hat trend? Article content The trend involves online videos depicting a sinister version of the Dr. Seuss character, the Cat in the Hat, outside schools, homes, or on streets at night. Much of the footage is made with AI, but some videos include real people dressed up as the character, and they often include threatening messages. Article content On TikTok, a quick search for “Cat in the Hat” returns hundreds of videos, some of which have garnered millions of views, of people dressed as the character wandering streets at night. Article content Other videos from anonymous accounts show the Cat in the Hat dancing next to a list of names of people it is “coming for,” while some users have posted content or comments sharing unverified claims that the Cat in the Hat…