Top 10 Jokes Only Adults Get in The Cat in the Hat

The musical number is arguably the loudest of the adult jokes particularly because of how it makes a spectacle of itself. While it gets much more innocent as it progresses, the song’s first verse has a sudden end that might leave kids scratching their heads. The Cat sings about another feline he knew in his homeland who, like Conrad, was messy and refused to listen to his mother. What could have happened to this cat? Well, according to our full-sized Cat, he was taken to the vet’s office and…well, experienced a not-so-fun moment. Adults could quickly piece together how this story unfolds. Kids, you’ll understand when you’re older.

Before the madness that was the musical number, we had this really weird moment between the Cat and the kids. As the Cat starts checking out the house, he comes across a photo of Joan and starts checking HER out. Turns out the photo folds out to show more of Joan, which causes the Cat to light up quite a bit. Yes, the hat rising up is a joke many grown-ups would get, but that’s not the only innuendo here they’ll notice. After he steals the photo and stuffs it in who-knows-where, he makes a remark about how bad “the drapes” are, and chances are he isn’t talking about the house.

After making Conrad and Sally scream and run away a few times, the Cat finally manages to introduce himself to the kids properly. Of course, seeing a giant bipedal feline would make any person ask where exactly he could have come from. We were about to get that answer after Sally prompted the question, though it wasn’t the answer we were expecting. Yeah, the Cat was two seconds away from giving kids the talk about the birds and the bees. Thankfully, Conrad stops him before younger ears could be tainted.

You might have to be a bit more eagle-eyed to spot this joke. As Joan prepares for the big house party, she’s berated by Conrad and Sally talking over each other while the phone is ringing. Amidst the chaos, Nevins is on the countertop digging into some food, but those paying close attention will find something very wrong. Nevins is snacking on chocolates and other sugary treats, and as any dog owner knows, chocolate can be lethal to canines. Kids probably never saw this visual joke because of how much is happening, but adults were probably chuckling at how messed-up the situation was.

When Larry gets a hold of Nevins, Sally, Conrad, and the Cat must come up with a way to get Nevins back before he gets to Joan’s office. The Cat suggests taking his car, and while the Hummer bit is a little cringey in today’s time, the real joke is when he explains the car’s name. Yes, the acronym for the car is “SLOW”, but it is certainly way better than what the Cat named it before. The toddlers and tykes most likely did not register the original acronym’s meaning, but anyone who could spell could have put two and two together.

In order to properly gauge just how strung up kids like Conrad and Sally are, the Cat needs to utilize a reliable tool such as the Phunometer. This handy-dandy device measures kids by their fun factor, and as we see here, it can reveal more than one would like. After the tests are done, the Cat diagnoses the kids before quickly throwing in a joke about health insurance. This bit was specifically for the adults as health insurance was (and still is in some regions) a real pain in the tail. It mostly went right over the kids’ heads.

To get this joke, you either need to be an adult who grew up in the 1950’s or 60’s, or be familiar with classic television sitcoms. In order to get rid of Joan’s unruly son, Larry pesters Joan about sending Conrad to the Colonel Wilhelm Military Academy. That’s an oddly specific name to use in a movie based on a children’s book, right? Well, it’s no random name. This is a reference to the “Hogan’s Heroes” character Colonel Wilhelm Klink, who is depicted as an oblivious and bumbling coward. Not exactly someone you’d name a school after let alone anything else.

While both kids and parents will enjoy this joke, it’s for two different reasons. While trying to find the crate, our trio must ride Mrs. Kwan through the Mother of All Messes. Eventually, they hit a part of their journey that basically turns the experience into a log flume ride. Conrad remarks about how it feels like they’re riding at an amusement park, the Cat stops the whole scene to plug Universal Studios’ parks. Kids will laugh for the simple reference. Adults will get a kick out of the “Wayne’s World” homage and shameless self-promotion.

This is very much one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” gags. To cover his own furry butt, the Cat has Conrad and Sally sign a contract, promising nothing will go wrong and that they can have whatever fun they desire. As the kids sign away, there’s a brief moment where we see a certificate with the Cat’s name on it. Yes, the Cat has been spayed and neutered, though the real humor is in Mike Myers’ face. The look he gives the audience is very much one that says, “Don’ worry, I’m good, but you ought to do the same for your pets!” Chances are this bit was dismissed by most kids.

It’s probably the most quoted moment on the internet, and it’s also the most inappropriate for kids. While on the hunt to retrieve Nevins, the trio spots him in someone else’s yard. After some “help” from Conrad and Sally, the Cat manages to hop the fence and approaches Nevins with a large garden hoe in his hands. This frightens the pup, and the Cat lets out his frustration. “Dirty hoe!” Of course, the way he picks the hoe back up and flirts with it gives the adults a pun that no kid will understand.