A Creepy Cat in the Hat Trend Is Targeting Texas Schools

Dr. Seuss would not approve of this!

The Cat in the Hat has gone from causing chaos on a rainy afternoon to terrorizing people on TikTok- or at least pretending to?

It sounds ridiculous, but the trend has gotten serious enough that school districts across Texas are responding. Now, that includes Canutillo ISD.

What Is the Cat in the Hat TikTok Trend?

The trend features creepy AI-generated or altered videos of the Cat in the Hat lurking around and threatening to show up in different communities.

What may have started as fictional horror content took a troubling turn when accounts began mentioning real cities, schools and even students. Similar posts have appeared in San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi and other Texas communities.

One strange thing I noticed while looking into this is how difficult it is to find the original account behind the trend. Videos and pages seem to disappear almost as quickly as they pop up.

My guess is that they are being reported and removed, but TikTok has not confirmed that. Either way, the disappearing accounts have not stopped new copycat pages from appearing.

READ MORE: HBO Releases New Docuseries Focused on a Texas Crime

Texas Schools Are Responding

This is where the trend stops being just another weird corner of the internet.

Some of the posts have reportedly named actual campuses and students. A few Texas school districts have added security or contacted law enforcement, even when no credible threat has been found.

Authorities are also reminding people that posting a threat as a “joke” can still bring serious consequences. If a post mentions a real student, school or location, the advice is simple: don’t repost it. Save the information and report it to the school or law enforcement instead.

Canutillo ISD Addresses the Trend

Canutillo ISD says it is aware of the trend but has not received a credible or specific threat involving its campuses or the Canutillo community.

The district says state and federal law enforcement agencies believe the posts are part of a hoax involving AI-generated images and videos. There is currently no evidence that the activity shown in them is actually happening.

Still, Canutillo ISD is asking parents to talk with students about the consequences of creating or sharing threats involving schools. A post meant to scare people or earn a few views could lead to substantial fines or even jail time.

Anyone who sees a post specifically mentioning Canutillo ISD, one of its campuses or the surrounding community should avoid sharing it and report it directly to the district at 915-877-6650.

The Cat in the Hat may not actually be wandering around Texas, but the concern these posts create is real- and that is why schools are not treating this trend like a joke.