The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat in the mid-80s via CBS/Fox Video's Playhouse Video division, and reissued later in the decade. This release used its working title The Cat in the Hat Gets Grinched. The special retained its normal name on VHS re-releases (including "Dr. Seuss Sing-Along Classics" by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with CBS Video and Fox Kids Video). It was also re-released on VHS in 2000 by Paramount Home Entertainment. It was later released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The special was released again on DVD by Warner Home Video on October 18, 2011 as part of the "Dr. Seuss's Holidays
The Cat in the Hat (film) was being made that a live-action version of "The Cat in the Hat" just wasn't a great idea." Ebert had the same problem with the film that he had with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", in that "If there is one thing I've learned from these two movies is that we don't want to see Jim Carrey as a Grinch, and we don't want to see Mike Myers as a cat. These are talented comedians, let's see them do their stuff, don't bury them under a ton of technology." Concerns were also raised over the PG rating of the film