A West Kelowna incident in which a teenager was chased by someone dressed as the Cat in the Hat appears to be connected to a growing social media trend that police say can have serious real-world consequences.
The Aug. 24 encounter has prompted an RCMP investigation and renewed warnings from authorities about online posts that portray the famous children's character in a threatening way.
While the social media trend is largely confined to AI-generated images and videos, some police agencies say the content has escalated beyond online jokes and into behaviour that can frighten people and potentially lead to criminal charges.
Online trend features threatening imagery
The trend typically features generative AI depictions of the Cat in the Hat, complete with the character's signature red-and-white striped hat, standing outside schools, homes and other recognizable locations.
Some TikTok videos have received thousands of views and show the character outside secondary schools and shopping centres in British Columbia.
Other posts have included the names of specific people and schools alongside messages such as "see you soon" or "bye bye."
Captions including "watch out" and "you're next" have added to concerns that the trend could encourage threatening behaviour offline.
This week, the Nechako Lakes School District in central B.C. said it was aware of the trend and asked community members to report concerning posts to police.
RCMP monitoring reports across British Columbia
B.C. RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said officers are aware of the trend, including a case in Fort St. James within the Nechako Lakes school district and the West Kelowna incident that police described publicly this week.
Clark said he was "not aware of any other events in B.C. RCMP jurisdictions."
When asked about potential criminal offences, Clark said charges would depend on the circumstances and available evidence.
"Generally speaking, based on what I have seen, some potential offences could be uttering threats or criminal harassment; however, there are any number of others that may be considered depending on the available evidence."
West Kelowna RCMP have described the Aug. 24 encounter as a "concerning prank" and said criminal harassment could be considered. Investigators have also indicated potential charges such as assault, uttering threats or intimidation could be examined if supported by evidence.
"Regardless of whether the individual intended the behaviour as a joke, following a young person and causing them to fear for their safety is extremely concerning," Cpl. Devon Gerrits said in a statement that included a nighttime photo of the costumed individual.
“People should understand that behaviour intended as a prank can have serious consequences when it causes another person to reasonably fear for their safety.”
Similar cases reported in the United States
Concerns about the trend have surfaced outside Canada as well.
Police in Tennessee said a student was arrested after allegedly making threats against school property using an AI-generated Cat in the Hat image. In Colorado, a teenager was charged with harassment after a similar post suggested the character would appear outside a middle school and private homes.
Character's eerie movie appearance may have fuelled trend
The Cat in the Hat first appeared in Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel's classic 1957 children's book.
However, the version featured in many recent videos appears to be inspired by the character's look in the 2003 live-action film starring Canadian actor Mike Myers.
A widely shared social media post about the movie costume being offered for auction is believed to have helped spark the trend. Commenters described the character's appearance as uncanny and even "nightmare fuel," helping fuel the horror-themed content now circulating online.
- with files from The Canadian Press
