CatchCat is a Pokémon Go-like with cats that might break the Internet, but it’s a huge missed opportunity

I woke up to the news that there’s a new free app where you take photos of cats and automatically convert them into pets for a Pokémon Go-inspired experience. “Brilliant,” I thought, too bad the execution is filled with all sorts of fun-breaking AI slop.

Woohoo, my second app is live on Google Play 😄
CatchCat lets you collect real cats you meet in everyday life.
Camera, cat detection, collectibles, map spawns, and many bugs later, it’s finally out 🐱
Would love feedback:https://t.co/gjYvARWOro pic.twitter.com/G3orcAIo6K

— Sebastian Seidel (@ninetofivedude) June 21, 2026

The concept is very similar to that of Pokémon Go, with the bonus that you now have to go on a more organic search for cats in real life, which CatchCat then turns into unique in-game avatars, with new names, abilities, and stats.