Terrifying ‘cat in the hat’ trend threatens schools & prompts police warning after teen girl chased by costumed creep

A CREEPY social media trend has authorities on alert as threats are being made against children, schools and communities using the Cat in the Hat.

The Dr Seuss character is not quite having “lots of good fun” as the book would say, as officials are warning the dangers of the worldwide trend could end in criminal harassment charges.

Images and videos, many made with AI, have been circulating online where users are making ominous threats using the Cat in the Hat, often resembling the character played by Mike Myers from the 2003 live-action movie.

Social media users have been making content using the childhood character in the big red and white hat to show them lurking outside schools, homes or on streets at night.

In some instances, the posts are naming individuals or lists of supposed targets.

The viral hoax appears to have originated in Ireland and the UK in August before reaching the US and Canada, according to the BBC.

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“Regardless of whether the individual intended the behavior as a joke, following a young person and causing them to fear for their safety is extremely concerning,” said Cpl. Devon Gerrits.

“People should understand that behavior intended as a prank can have serious consequences when it causes another person to reasonably fear for their safety.”

Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent in Florida asked people not to share or interact with these kinds of posts if they come across them, even if they are doing so with the intent to warn others.

“Sharing these images only spreads fear and gives more visibility to the content that has no credibility,” he said.

In several cases, teens have been arrested for allegedly taking part in this Cat in the Hat trend online.

A 15-year-old student at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kansas, north of Wichita, allegedly created a TikTok account referencing the trend, according to the Hutchinson Police Department.

The teen was then charged with two counts of criminal threat.

“Threats of any nature are taken seriously by the Hutchinson Police Department and Hutchinson High School,” the police department said.

“Regardless of whether a post is intended as a joke, it is unlawful to cause others, particularly students, to fear for their safety.”

Two students at Worth County High School in Georgia were arrested and charged after they allegedly participated in the viral hoax, but what charges they face remain unclear.

School officials said police confirmed the posts were fake and non-credible, according to WALB.

Police believe the posts were created to cause fear by encouraging students to share photos of their own schools, suggesting the character may be targeting that school next.

Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky closed on August 31 after a post related to the trend sparked safety concerns, USA Today reported.

There was no credible threat to the school, but some social media accounts used “threatening language or identified real schools and students, so every report must be taken seriously and investigated,” President of Assumption Mary Lang and Principal Martha Tedesco wrote in a letter to parents.

In Colorado, the Grand Junction Police Department said it received word of a post referencing the trend “indicating an individual may appear at West Middle School.”

“The post also referenced the individual potentially showing up at random residences,” police said, adding. “The posts are intended to cause alarm and fear in individuals.”

Out of “an abundance of caution,” the department increased its presence at West Middle School and Grand Junction High School on August 28.

As the trend continues to circulate on social media, several law enforcement agencies are reminding people that “Viral trends can have real-world consequences.”

“What may be intended as a joke or prank can quickly become a serious matter when a post, message, photo, or video includes threatening language or causes fear or concern in a school or community,” the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama said.