Is the Smalltown Boy AI Cat Video Free?

Usually not. The Smalltown Boy cat video is an AI video, and making AI video costs money almost everywhere you try it. Most tutorials that promise it free end at a paywall: a paid tier in a template app, a site that charges for each video, or a general video tool where every retry uses credits. The Smalltown Boy AI effect on TrendTada isn't free either. It uses credits, and it shows you how many before you create anything.

This guide is for people who already tried and got stuck. Maybe the template wouldn't open, maybe you paid and your cats came out strange. Below: what each route actually charges, what to check before you pay, and how to get a good result on the first try.

Open the Smalltown Boy AI tool →

Why the "free" tutorials end at a paywall

The most-watched how-to videos for the two-cats version follow the same script: open a template app, copy a link, tap the effect. What the video doesn't show is the next screen. The comments under those tutorials repeat the same complaints in English, Spanish and Portuguese: the effect isn't free, it won't open, or it's a different template from the one in the video.

There's a reason. A template that cuts your own footage to the beat is cheap to run, so it can be free. Turning two pet photos into upright dancers is AI video generation, and that costs whoever runs it. Somewhere along the way, someone pays.

The one free route: film it yourself

If you and a friend are happy to perform, you can do the original version for free. The Smalltown Boy template we found in CapCut asks for one 9:16 clip that you record yourself. You need a wall or fence, a phone, a wide lens and a few takes, because the swap has to land on the beat.

That route works for people, not pets. Your cat won't stand up, grab its head and scream on cue. For the cat or dog version, you need AI.

What each route actually charges

Route	What you pay for	What you upload	Pets	Watch out for
Film it yourself	Nothing but your time	One clip you record	No	Several takes to get the swap right
AI effect inside a template app	A paid tier or membership	Photos or clips, depending on the effect	Depends on the effect	The effect may not match the tutorial
A site built for this one meme	A charge per video, or credits	One or two photos	Usually	Length, resolution and failed-video rules vary
A general AI video tool	Credits for every generation	Photos plus a prompt you write	Depends on your prompt	Each retry costs again
Smalltown Boy AI on TrendTada	Credits per video, shown before you create	Two photos	Any pet or person in either slot	It isn't free

The general-tool route looks cheapest per attempt, but it's where credits disappear fastest. You write the prompt, the routine comes out half right, you rewrite and try again, and every attempt is charged. A tool built for this meme already knows the four beats, so you're paying for the result rather than for experiments.

Check these five things before you pay

A checklist card with five questions to ask before paying for an AI dance video: number of photos, people or pets, length, format, and whether the cost is shown first

How many photos it takes. The meme is a double act: one screams while the other dances, then they swap. A tool that takes one photo has to invent the partner. Two photos means you choose both performers.
People, pets, or both. Check whether either slot can be a pet, and whether you can mix a person with a pet. Some tools only do two cats.
Length. The full routine runs about 22 seconds. Shorter clips stop earlier, so find out which moments you actually get before you pay for a 5-second version.
Resolution and format. You want vertical 9:16 for TikTok and Reels. Higher resolution looks sharper and usually costs more.
The cost before you generate, and what happens if it fails. You should see the exact charge before anything starts. Ask what happens to your money or credits if a video fails.

Four stills from a dog and cat Smalltown Boy AI video showing where each length ends: 5 seconds on the dog's scream, 10 seconds on the cat's scream after the swap, 15 seconds with both dancing side by side, and Full at about 22 seconds on the lean-in — What you get at each length: 5 s, 10 s, 15 s and Full.

How to get good cats the first time

Most bad results come from the photos, not the tool. The AI can only keep what it can see.

The same golden retriever photo four ways: clear and sharp, blurry, too dark, and too small in the frame, with only the clear one marked as a good choice — The same dog, four ways. Only the first gives the AI enough to work with.

One pet or person per photo. Two cats curled up in one shot confuses which one is which.
A clear face. Eyes, ears and markings should be easy to see. The scream is a close-up, so the face carries the whole clip.
Body and paws in frame. Your pet ends up dancing on two legs. Arms, paws and tail in the photo give it something to work from.
Even light, no heavy filters. Dark or filtered photos lose fur colors and patterns.
Two pets that look alike? Use photos where the differences between them are easy to spot.
Only people who agreed. If a friend is in it, ask first.

Then test small. A short 480p clip uses the fewest credits. If the likeness looks right, spend more on the full routine at a higher resolution.

Make it with Smalltown Boy AI on TrendTada

Smalltown Boy AI recreates the meme's fence scene with your two photos as the performers. Character 1 grabs their head and screams into the lens while Character 2 dances behind, then they swap, dance side by side and lean toward the camera.

Four moments from the Smalltown Boy AI dance with a dog and a cat: the dog screams into the camera, the cat takes the front after the swap, both dance side by side, and both lean toward the lens — The four beats: scream, swap, side by side, lean in.

Two Smalltown Boy AI videos side by side: a man in a suit screaming in front of a convenience store while a woman in a green tracksuit dances behind, and a golden retriever screaming by a wooden fence while a tabby cat dances behind — Two people or two pets: the same routine works either way.

Two photos, any mix. Two cats, a cat and a dog, you and your pet, or two friends. Any pet or person works in either slot.
Pets stay themselves. Each animal becomes an upright dancer that keeps its own face, fur, ears, paws and tail.
Four lengths. 5, 10 or 15 seconds, or Full for the whole routine of about 22 seconds.
Vertical 9:16, up to 1080p. Pick 480p, 720p or 1080p.
The credit cost first. The workspace shows how many credits your settings use before anything starts. Shorter and lower-resolution clips use fewer.
Failed videos give credits back. Credits are held while your video renders. If the task fails, they return to your balance. This is a credit return, not a card refund; see the Refund Policy.

A golden retriever screaming with its paws on its head while a tabby cat dances behind, then the dog and cat standing upright side by side by a wooden fence — A dog and a cat, keeping their own fur and paws.

To make one:

Open Smalltown Boy AI and upload a photo for Character 1 and one for Character 2.
Choose the quality and length.
Check the credits shown for those settings, sign in when asked, and tap Create video.
Download the MP4 and add the trending sound when you post on TikTok or Reels.

You don't need a subscription for one video. One-time credit packs don't renew; see Pricing for the current options.

FAQ

Is there a free way to make the Smalltown Boy cat video?

Not with real pets dancing. The free route is filming the routine yourself with a friend, which works for people only. Any route that turns photos of your cat or dog into dancers costs something.

Why did my cats come out wrong?

Usually the photos. Blurry or dark shots, faces turned away, or both cats in one picture make it hard to keep each pet's look. Use one clear photo per pet with the face, markings and paws visible, and test with a short clip first.

Can I be in the video with my cat?

Yes. Put yourself in one slot and your pet in the other. Either one can scream first.

Do I need a subscription?

No. You can buy a one-time credit pack, which doesn't renew. The credit cost for your chosen length and quality is shown before you create.

Make your Smalltown Boy AI video

You know the costs, the checks and the photos that work. Open Smalltown Boy AI, add your two photos and check the credits before you create.