Who is the Wirral cat man? The mysterious cat figure inspiring an online witch hunt

Wirralresidents may be witnessing a new urban legend in the making. Unnerving sightings of a man in a black cat costume have been reported stalking the coastal streets of Merseyside, inspiring amusement, confusion and terror. It’s even turned into a TikTokwitch hunt, with videos of sightings racking up thousands of views. But who is behind it?

Facebook user Abbie Gilbert was walking her dog when she first heard the sound of a grown man making cat noises. She shone a torch and suddenly he was there: a man in a cat suit waving his arms at her before scarpering up a hill.

She then posted the photos to Facebook, asking: “Does anyone know who the freak in the cat mask and morph suit is at the coastal park near the harvester?” She added: “Never been so scared.”

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The strange cat-ear wearing figure has since been seen prowling mainly beach-side areas: in the scrubby grass and nearby parks. Most recent reported sightings appear to place him around the Leasowe Beach, a popular local spot.

On July 9, photos of the ‘Cat Man’ were posted to the Facebook group Crimewatch Wirral. The caption explained that they were in the Leasowe Bay area and they took a picture of the view.

A social media user wrote: “I spotted something on the picture it looked like a black figure so I put the flash on my phone on and I saw the ‘Cat Man’ sat there staring right at me.” They added: “I was absolutely shaken, please stay safe although it is hasn’t committed a crime.”

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Reactions have been mixed. Many of the comments haven’t been taking the Cat Man seriously, with one even joking that someone should “put a collar and a bell on him.” However, others are a lot more concerned. “That’s absolutely terrifying,” one wrote. “It’s just weird and creepy," another said.

On July 10, another Facebook user claimed that the cat-man “was found peering through somebody's window and approaching people in a threatening manner walking their dogs on Leasowe Bay.” Meanwhile, there have been reports that the cat has been caught “hissing” at people.

But while many are afraid, others are morbidly curious. TikTokers are now posting videos of themselves hanging by the Wirral coast at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure for themselves. Some of these videos have hundreds of thousands of views, as commenters gather share their own tales of the suited cat.

A group has even been set up on Facebook specifically to track sightings of the mysterious prankster, which now has over 2.2K members – though this of course has led to its own problems. Within the scope of just 12 hours, group members have claimed to have spotted him in the middle of a field, getting into a caravan, and in two separate parks. “Everyone’s lying, can’t be in 7 places at once lmao,” one person wrote.

Others have even made pleas to treat the cat man humanely, as the cat hunt has intensified. “Cat man isn’t going to come out if people do things to him and try to hunt him down to try hurt or unmask him,” one Facebook user wrote.

Theories as to who might be behind the costume are also running rampant. Some say he’s suffering from a mental illness, others believe it’s an elaborate hoax. Meanwhile, a few even believe they could be a sexual exhibitionist.

There may even be copycats. Vickie Cummings recently posted a TikTok of a “Cat Man” sighting from her car, though as the suited figure approached many comments pointed out that it looked like a woman, casting doubt over the authenticity of the sighting. “Apparently not the real cat man? So there’s 2,” she later wrote in a TikTok caption.

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