// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Viral 'Cat in the Hat' TikTok trend sparks fun fake videos but also real fear
The Cat in the Hat, a character from the eponymous Dr Seuss book, has been depicted on screen multiple times, including photographed here on a US talk show
"He's so scary!" says 16-year-old Skye, recoiling at the mention of the Cat in the Hat.
Viral images purporting to show a life-sized version of the Dr Seuss character on the streets after dark have sparked fear and confusion among teenagers.
The posts, seen by millions, have convinced some young people that the character is real and that they might encounter it, prompting police forces in Ireland and the UK to issue statements confirming that the images and videos are fake.
"I was having a sleepover," Skye elaborates, "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."
A quick scroll through TikTok reveals numerous accounts, many of them created in the past few weeks, sharing photos and videos of an elusive black-and-white feline wearing the famous, towering, crooked red-and-white striped hat.
One post showing the original Cat in the Hat costume, accompanied by the caption "Help, what do I do?", has received 14.6m views in just three weeks.
The comments add to the sense of frenzy, with followers asking, "Why is he taxidermied?" Others zoom in on parts of the costume and post conspiracy theories about Mike Myers, who played the character in the 2003 film, being trapped inside.
Another popular account set up this week, posts videos of a real person dressed in a cat in the hat costume, dancing, with captions like "Kent I'm coming. lock your doors." Other users are sharing the videos, adding their own captions and locations across the UK.
Many of the AI generated images have been centred on the Irish counties of Limerick and Wexford, where shaky videos purportedly showed the character wandering through the streets, causing alarm and confusion among residents.