In these times of war, economic struggle and uncertainty, social media has given rise to something new to potentially fear — "The Cat in the Hat" viral hoax threat.
The El Paso Police Department has not seen any known credible threats related to the "Cat in the Hat" trend, which in recent days has spread across the United States, police spokeswoman Detective Judy Oviedo said on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso said in a statement that it was aware of the "Cat in the Hat" trend and there had been no credible threats toward any Canutillo school. Other El Paso school districts had not publicly reported any problems.
What is the Cat in the Hat trend?
The TikTok phenomenon — which has spread into Texas — features potentially menacing messages along
with images of a live-action version of the beloved Dr. Seuss character from the 1957 children's book "The Cat in the Hat."
In the classic book, The Cat in the Hat is not evil, but is a mischievous troublemaker who cleans up the mess at the end. "I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny," the Cat says.
In the trend, a person dressed as "The Cat in the Hat" is shown lurking outside windows, visiting local landmarks and standing or walking around at night in videos that apparently first emerged in the United Kingdom and Ireland, according to a CNN report on Aug. 25. Some of the videos were AI generated and appear to be in jest, while others were described as "creepy."
'The Cat in the Hat' trend arrives in Texas
The hoax resulted in the additional police presence at schools in the George West Independent School District as a precaution on Monday, Aug. 31, in the small Texas town of George West, located between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
A "Cat in the Hat" video circulating on social media included a reference to "coming to George West next." The video was later determined to be a hoax and there was no threat to students, staff or schools, George West ISD Interim Superintendent Sara A. Alvarado stated in a public letter to families.
The Laredo Police Department on Aug. 31 posted a warning about the "The Cat in the Hat" trend, cautioning against posting threats, even if intended as a joke or prank.
"We want to remind our community, particularly students and parents, that threatening posts are not a joke. Any social media post, message, image, or other communication that contains a threat or causes fear or alarm within our schools or community will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated," the Laredo Police Department stated.
'Cat in the Hat' fad sparks school safety concerns
The online phenomenon featuring the humanoid cat in a red-and-white striped top hat and red bow tie has caused unease at schools across the United States. It has generally been found to be a hoax.
The Tennessee Office of Homeland Security's Threat Assessment Center was tracking the "Cat in the Hat" trend for potentially targeting Tennessee schools and students.
A high school in Louisville, Kentucky, was closed as a precaution on Aug. 31 after a "Cat in the Hat" post (later found not to be credible) had "threatening language or identified real schools and students," the Louisville Courier Journal reported.
In Louisiana, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office was monitoring online posts about the potential for a costumed "Cat in the Hat" to visit Terrebonne Schools on Sept. 1, but found no credible threat, Houma Today reported.
Scaring children from viral media to folklore
"The Cat in the Hat" is similar to past viral social media hoaxes, urban legends and folklore that have scared children for generations. Among them:
∎ "Momo challenge" (2019) — An internet hoax and urban legend about an ugly, sinister female character named "Momo" who via social media videos harassed children to commit dangerous challenges, including self-harm.
∎ Creepy clowns(2016) — Sightings of evil clowns rumored to be luring, chasing and attacking people spread on social media around the world, but were generally hoaxes.
∎ La Llorona (Mexican folklore) — The spirit of the Weeping Woman searches for her drowned children at night, usually along rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. She is set to star in "The Revenge of La Llorona" in 2027, sequel to "The Curse of La Llorona" (2019) as part of the Conjuring Universe movies.
∎ El Cucuy (Mexican folklore) — Long before the internet, this scary monster was waiting to take children who don't listen to their parents and misbehave.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Scary, viral Cat in the Hat trend on TikTok spreads to Texas
