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Cat in the Hat Trend: Create the AI Doorbell Cam Halloween Prank

A tall cat wearing a red and white striped top hat approaches your door on a grainy doorbell camera, waves, then performs a silly little dance. Or it peers up at your window, emerges from your doorway, or appears directly behind you in a selfie. Everything is AI, generated from one photo: a Halloween prank, not a real sighting.

The original Cat in the Hat AI reel by @lastknownencounterOriginal reel
  • 1 photo you add
  • 10 s clip with sound
  • 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, Shorts
  • No watermark

No prompt to write: Add your photo and tap once

Create your own

Ready in a few minutes · From 56 credits

The cat in the hat trend is a 2026 TikTok phenomenon featuring eerie AI-generated images and nighttime videos of a tall cat wearing a striped top hat appearing on porches, in streets and inside houses. Authorities confirmed the sightings were fabricated. Now you can create your own Cat in the Hat AI prank using one photo of your porch, window, room or yourself.

Also called Cat in the Hat horror trend · Dark Cat in the Hat memes · Cat in the Hat horror edits · Cat in the Hat doorbell prank

Example

What the Cat in the Hat AI video looks like

This is the original reel that launched the trend. Your video is a brand new clip generated from your photo in this style, not a duplicate of these shots. Every generation produces unique results.

Original reel by @lastknownencounter, 10 s
The AI clip that brought the window version to prominence, created by @lastknownencounter (5 September 2026, 2.2 million views, marked as AI on TikTok): a tall cat wearing a striped top hat appears in a parking lot at night, then waves toward the window. Window generates this effect from a photo of your own window or street.
Use this reference
Original reel by @darkcasefilesuk1, 8 s
A doorbell-camera AI clip created by @darkcasefilesuk1 (23 August 2026, marked as AI on TikTok): the cat approaches along a wet garden path at night heading toward the door. Doorbell cam generates this from a photo of your porch, then includes a wave and a silly dance.
Use this reference
Step by step

How to make the Cat in the Hat AI video on Smew AI

Everything runs in the browser. No editing app, no prompt to write, no watermark.

  1. Add your photo

    Press "Create your own" and upload your porch, front door or path. Capture it with the camera or select it from your library.

  2. Press Generate

    The button displays the price. Smew AI constructs the Cat in the Hat AI scene using your photos, then Kling 3.0 animates it for 10 seconds with original sound. No prompt writing required.

  3. Download or share

    The video is ready within minutes as a 9:16 MP4. Download it, share it from your phone, or access it later in your Library.

Which photo works best?

Upload one photo. The type depends on which version you choose:

  • Doorbell cam: your porch, front door or the walkway leading to it, shot from near the door around chest height, similar to a doorbell camera angle. Works in daylight or darkness: the AI converts it to nighttime.
  • Window: the scene outside your window, or your street, with open space where the cat can appear.
  • Peek: your room, hallway or a doorway, showing the door frame.
  • Behind me: a selfie with your face clear and well lit, leaving space behind your shoulder.
  • Keep people out of location photos. Use your own home and your own face, or an adult friend who gave permission. Never a child, a school or a stranger's house, and no house number or street sign you wouldn't want posted online.

Where did the Cat in the Hat AI trend start?

The cat in the hat TikTok trend launched on 30 June 2026, when @dannykelvin47 shared the dancing cat from the 2003 live-action film with a dark joke caption; Know Your Meme tracked over 4.4 million views within a week. On 6 July an AI-generated found-footage clip showing the cat as a horror creature gained over 718,000 views in one day, and starting 9 July tutorials demonstrated one-photo AI templates, including a Kling AI template, that inserted the character into your own house.

In August the Cat in the Hat sightings appeared on the street. AI images from Wexford in Ireland circulated on 18 August, and the UK and the US quickly followed with their own doorbell and CCTV "sightings". Authorities confirmed they were fabricated: NME quoted Wexford Gardaí, who described it as "an AI prompt that places the character into images/videos of familiar places". Some US posts then escalated into threats targeting schools, prompting police investigations. In September 2026, "cat in the hat trend" received 450,000 US Google searches. The new animated film releases on 6 November 2026, a week after Halloween.

  1. @dannykelvin47 shares the dancing cat from the 2003 film with a dark joke caption; it reaches 4.4 million views within a week and launches the dark Cat in the Hat memes. Know Your Meme

  2. A tutorial demonstrates the one-photo Kling AI template for "the viral Cat in the Hat AI photo" appearing inside your house, displaying its prompt on screen. TikTok

  3. NME covers AI clips of the character in recognizable locations after dark in Ireland and the UK; Wexford police confirm they are created with an AI prompt. NME

  4. WBRC covers how the trend escalated into actual threats at Alabama schools; authorities warn such posts may result in criminal charges. WBRC

  5. @lastknownencounter shares an AI clip of the cat appearing in a parking lot at night and waving toward a window; it surpasses 2.2 million views. TikTok

  6. #catinthehat contains 181,049 TikTok videos and 5.5 billion views; the new animated film releases in theaters on 6 November 2026. TikTok

Copy and paste

The Cat in the Hat AI prompts

You don't need these: the one-tap flow executes them automatically. A photo prompt integrates your photo into the scene, then a video prompt brings it to life. Want to modify them? Copy them and adjust them in AI Photo and AI Video.

Doorbell cam

1 photo: your porch, front door or pathKling 3.010 s · 1080p · 9:1656 credits
Video prompt

Use the uploaded image as the base. Take the creepy cat character and place it on the path in the uploaded image, near the far end, walking toward the door and watching toward the camera. The character: a tall, thin cat character the size of a grown man, standing upright like a person, like someone in a realistic furry cat costume with a stiff, smiling cat mask: black fur, a white furry chest, a white face with a wide frozen grin and dark eyes, white gloves, a very tall, slightly floppy red and white striped top hat and a big red bow tie. Keep the dark, low-light atmosphere and make it look like a hidden doorbell camera shot: the same porch, door, path, plants, cars and houses as in the uploaded image, at night, lit by one weak porch light and a distant street lamp, the ground a little wet and shiny. A wide fisheye view from about chest height beside the front door, with bent edges, soft grain, slight noise and muted, cold night colors. The character stands small in the frame at the far end of the path, its whole body in view from the tip of the hat to the feet. If the uploaded image shows no path, it stands in the middle of the open ground in front of the door. Vertical 9:16. Exactly one cat character. No people and no human face anywhere in the picture. No weapon, no blood. No text, no timestamp, no date, no camera icons, no logos, no watermark, no house numbers, no readable number plates.

1414 characters

Window

1 photo: the view from your window, or your streetKling 3.010 s · 1080p · 9:1656 credits
Video prompt

Use the uploaded image as the base. Take the creepy cat character and place it outside, in the street or the open ground seen in the uploaded image, standing still under the nearest light and watching toward the camera. The character: a tall, thin cat character the size of a grown man, standing upright like a person, like someone in a realistic furry cat costume with a stiff, smiling cat mask: black fur, a white furry chest, a white face with a wide frozen grin and dark eyes, white gloves, a very tall, slightly floppy red and white striped top hat and a big red bow tie. Keep the dark, low-light atmosphere and make it look like a phone photo taken through a window at night: the same street, cars, trees and buildings as in the uploaded image, at night, with a few lit windows and one street lamp. The view is from a window one floor up, the edge of a dark curtain at one side of the frame and a faint reflection on the glass, soft grain and muted night colors. The character stands alone in the middle distance, its whole body in view from the tip of the hat to the feet, the head tilted up toward the window. Vertical 9:16. Exactly one cat character. No people and no human face anywhere in the picture. No weapon, no blood. No text, no timestamp, no date, no camera icons, no logos, no watermark, no house numbers, no readable number plates.

1351 characters

How many credits does it cost?

You pay per video in credits, and the create page displays the exact price on the Generate button before any charges. The one-tap price includes both the scene photo and the video, billed once. Each version has distinct pricing: Doorbell cam 56 credits, Window 56 credits, Peek 3 credits, Behind me 3 credits. Lower-cost models are available if you execute the prompts manually in AI Video.

Video modelSettingsCredits
Doorbell cam: Kling 3.0 (this template)10 s, 1080p + 1 scene photo, one tap56
Window: Kling 3.0 (this template)10 s, 1080p + 1 scene photo, one tap56
Peek: Nano Banana 2.1 (this template)2K photo, 9:16, one tap3
Behind me: Nano Banana 2.1 (this template)2K photo, 9:16, one tap3
Seedance 2.0 Fast (by hand in AI Video)10 s, 720p + 1 photo68
Veo 3.1 Fast (by hand in AI Video)8 s, 720p + 1 photo14

One-time packs and plans are on the pricing page. A failed video gives its credits back.

What does each version of the Cat in the Hat AI trend make?

VersionYou uploadYou get
Doorbell camYour porch, door or pathA 10-second nighttime doorbell-camera video: the cat approaches along the path, pauses at the camera, waves and performs a silly little dance with a bow
WindowThe view from your window, or your streetA 10-second phone video shot through the window: it looks up from the street, the phone ducks behind the curtain, then it waves
PeekYour room, hallway or doorwayA surveillance-style photo: only its head emerges from your doorway, staring at the camera
Behind meA selfieA creepy selfie: its head appears from behind your shoulder while you're smiling at the camera

How it works: the images use the prompt from the Kling AI template that trend tutorials featured in July 2026 ("take the creepy character and place it near the doorway, only its head peeks out, keep the dark, low-light atmosphere, make it look like a hidden surveillance camera shot"), with the character described using text. Doorbell cam and Window first generate a nighttime image of your location with the cat present, then Kling 3.0 Pro converts it into a vertical 10-second Cat in the Hat AI video with night sounds and a music-box tune; Best uses Seedance 2.5 for more stable results. Peek and Behind me produce photos only. The precise price appears on the Generate button before any charges, and each generation creates a fresh version.

How do you keep the Cat in the Hat AI prank a Halloween joke?

The cat in the hat sightings frightened many people in August and September 2026, and certain posts escalated into actual threats against schools requiring police intervention. Keep yours light and fun:

  • Label it as AI. Share it as an AI Halloween video and preserve the platform's AI label. Never present it as an authentic sighting, as "caught on camera" news or as a warning.
  • Only your own locations. No address, no street name, no school, no shop, and no names of people in the caption.
  • No threats. No "you're next", no countdowns, no messages targeting a person or a group.
  • For friends who understand. Share it with people who recognize the trend and appreciate a spooky joke, and never use it to scare a child.

Caption ideas: "Made this with AI for Halloween", "My doorbell cam got a dancing visitor (AI)" or "POV: the AI cat came to show off its moves". Hashtags on the trend's posts: #catinthehat, #aihorror and #halloween.

What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?

ProblemFix
The cat looks like a real cat or a personGenerate again. The prompt requests a person-sized cat character wearing a costume-like mask; a clear photo of your location helps.
The hat loses its red and white stripesGenerate again, or select Best for the video.
Your porch or room changedThe AI processes only what appears in your photo. Capture the photo with more of the location visible, from where a camera would be mounted.
It is still daytimeThe prompt converts the scene to nighttime. A photo captured at dusk or with low lighting produces the darkest results.
A timestamp or camera logo shows upThe prompts exclude text and logos. Generate again.
Your face changes (Behind me)Use a sharp, front-facing selfie with good lighting.
The model refuses a photoSome photos get rejected. The credits are refunded; try a different photo.
FAQ

Cat in the Hat AI trend questions

What is the cat in the hat trend?
The cat in the hat trend is a 2026 TikTok phenomenon featuring eerie, AI-generated images and clips of a tall cat wearing a red and white striped top hat: appearing on doorbell cameras, on dark streets, in hallways and behind people. It began as dark memes from the 2003 film on 30 June 2026, evolved into AI found-footage clips in July and became fake "sightings" in Ireland, the UK and the US during August. Know Your Meme covered the first wave on 7 July 2026. People also write it the cat and the hat trend or the cat inthe hat trend.
Is the cat in the hat trend real?
No. The cat in the hat sightings are AI-generated or staged. In August 2026 authorities in Wexford, Ireland confirmed the clips originate from an AI prompt inserting the character into recognizable places, South Yorkshire Police debunked a fabricated post claiming they considered the sightings genuine, and Cork Safety Alerts found no verified incidents in Ireland. The cat in the hat trend fake posts are created the same way as this template.
Is the Cat in the Hat AI?
Yes. The viral cat in the hat AI generated pictures and clips originate from AI image and video tools, typically a one-photo template, and many are AI found-footage or analog horror clips displaying TikTok's AI label. Both clips on this page carry an AI label on TikTok.
How do you do the cat in the hat trend?
Select a version, upload one photo (your porch, your window view, your room or a selfie) and press Generate. Doorbell cam and Window produce a Cat in the Hat AI video, Peek and Behind me produce a Cat in the Hat AI photo, similar to the trend photos circulating in August. Share it as an AI Halloween video, never as a genuine sighting.
What is the cat in the hat AI prompt?
The prompt from the trend's Kling AI template, displayed on screen in a July 2026 tutorial, reads: "Take the creepy doll character from Picture 2 and place it near the doorway in Picture 1. Only its head peeks out from the doorway, watching toward the camera. Keep the dark, low-light atmosphere and make it look like a hidden surveillance camera shot." Our images retain those instructions and describe the character using text: a tall cat wearing a red and white striped top hat and a red bow tie.
Can I make a cat in the hat doorbell camera video of my own house?
Yes, that's the Doorbell cam version. Upload a photo of your porch or path from beside the door, and the AI generates a grainy nighttime clip, similar to the cat in the hat caught on camera posts: the cat approaches, waves and performs a silly, slightly creepy dance. It's a Halloween video, so label it as AI.
Is there a cat in the hat filter?
Not a camera filter: the scary cat in the hat posts are created with AI templates and generators from a photo. This page functions the same way. The creepy cat in the hat photos originate from one picture of your location or a selfie, and the cat in the hat creepy selfie is the Behind me version.
Can I use it as a cat in the hat Halloween prank?
Yes, as a Halloween joke with friends who understand the concept. Generate the cat in the hat AI prank of your own home, label it as AI, and exclude schools, addresses, other people's names and any threats from it. Police investigated the threatening posts from the trend, and a joke should never resemble one.
Why is the cat in the hat scary in these clips?
That's the aesthetic of the trend's AI clips: a person-sized cat character with a rigid, smiling mask, which makes the cat in the hat AI scary and somewhat funny simultaneously. The prompts describe it using text; they don't copy any book art or film footage.
When did the cat in the hat trend 2026 start, and is it still going?
It launched on 30 June 2026 with dark memes from the 2003 film, and the AI clips and fabricated sightings peaked during August and September 2026. In October Google interest dropped from September levels, but remains consistent, and Halloween on 31 October and the new film on 6 November sustain ongoing searches.
Does the video have sound?
Yes. The videos include their own audio: soft night sounds, footsteps and a gentle music-box tune for the dance or wave. The photos are stills only. The trend's clips frequently use horror music; you can overlay your own audio when posting.
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Make your own Cat in the Hat AI video

Add one photo and tap once. No prompt to write. 56 credits.

No watermark. A failed video gives its credits back. Secure checkout by Stripe.