Cartoon Cat became a popular internet horror figure through fan art, animations and short horror videos shared across YouTube and TikTok, where its grinning, cartoonish appearance made it instantly recognizable. Slowed and reverb versions of its theme grew alongside that trend, as creators used the stretched sound to make familiar cartoon music feel threatening. The clip remains popular because the slow tempo fits horror edits, creepypasta-style stories and spooky meme compilations without needing any dialogue.