CatNap first appeared as the main antagonist of Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 in 2024, a tall purple cat from the Smiling Critters line known for his red sleeping gas. Fans soon redrew him as a chibi baby, and that smaller design became a walking meme template on TikTok and Shorts. The loop spread because it flips a horror character into a harmless strut, and creators reuse the walking meme format for pets, toddlers, and confident entrances across edits.