How to Make the Raccoon and Cat AI Video (Bucket Hat, Sunglasses, Paparazzi) With Your Pet

A raccoon in a black bucket hat and sunglasses and a tabby cat walk upright down a sunny promenade, palm trees behind them, while a phone camera chases them like paparazzi. The cat kicks and dances, the raccoon pushes a paw over the lens. If you've seen it and wondered how to make it with your own cat, here's how, from a single photo.

What is the raccoon and cat video?

It's an AI video posted on Instagram on 12 November 2026 by @raccoonstolemyiphone, an account built around an AI raccoon in a bucket hat and shades, captioned "paparazzis everywhere". It uses a sound that was blowing up on Reels that week, and the raccoon-and-cat pair has since been copied by other AI creators.

Our Raccoon & Cat Paparazzi template recreates it: it follows the moves and the camera of the original, with your pet in the cat's part.

How to make it

1. Open the Raccoon & Cat Paparazzi template.
2. Add a photo of your pet. It takes the cat's part. Dogs, rabbits and other pets work too.
3. Optional: add a second pet. It takes the raccoon's part and wears the bucket hat and sunglasses. Leave it empty and a raccoon is generated for you.
4. Pick a version and generate. Premium or Balanced, at the quality you want. Both render the whole 11 seconds.
5. Download the MP4. It comes with the original clip's sound. To use your own, turn Include the song off or use Download without music.
6. Post it with the caption "paparazzis everywhere" and #raccoon #cat.

What happens in the video

11 seconds, vertical 9:16, one handheld "paparazzi" shot:

• 0–2 s, the strut: side by side on the promenade, your pet kicks a leg out and dances, the raccoon stands cool in its hat and shades.
• 2–4 s, no photos: the raccoon walks right up and pushes a paw over the lens.
• 4–6.75 s, your pet's close-up: the camera swings to your pet, who swats at it, then back to the raccoon for one more "no photos".
• 6.75–11 s, the walk-off: the raccoon turns its back, looks over its shoulder, and the two strut at the camera under the palm trees.

Photos that work best

• Face clearly visible. Eyes, nose and ears sharp and toward the camera.
• The whole pet, if you can. Your pet walks upright the whole time, so a full-body photo gets its build and markings right.
• Good light. Daylight or a bright room.
• One animal per photo. No second pet or person in the frame.
• No raccoon photo needed. The raccoon comes with the template.

What does it cost?

Premium is 25 credits at 480p, 50 at 720p and 85 at 1080p, and Balanced is cheaper still. Without an account, one video costs from $7.99 at checkout. No watermark, and failed renders and rejected photos are refunded automatically.

Can't I just prompt it in ChatGPT, Sora or another AI video app?

You can describe "a raccoon in a bucket hat and sunglasses walking with a cat" to a general AI video tool, but it invents the moves, the camera and the timing from your words, and it won't look like your own cat. This template starts from the original clip's motion and camera, and keeps your pet's breed, face and markings from your photo.

FAQ

Do I need a photo of a raccoon? No. Leave photo 2 empty and a raccoon in a plain black bucket hat and sunglasses is generated.

Can my dog be in it instead of a cat? Yes. Whatever pet is in photo 1 takes the cat's part, walking upright on its back legs.

Can my pet wear the bucket hat? Yes: add it as photo 2 and it takes the raccoon's part, hat and shades included. Photo 1 then plays the cat's part.

Is the hat the same brand as in the original? No. Your video's bucket hat is plain black, with no logo.

How long does it take? Usually a few minutes. Your photo is reviewed first, then the video renders.

Make your raccoon and cat video →