How to Find a Fast CAT Event Near You
If you have a busy and energetic dog, you might want to look into Fast CAT. Dog sports are a wonderful way to bond with your dog, give them an outlet for their energy, and provide some enrichment to satisfy their prey drive.
If you’ve never tried Fast CAT or dog sports before, never fear! Fast CAT is the perfect dog sport for beginners.
Fast CAT is a timed 100-yard dash where a dog chases a lure to the end of the lane. Not all dogs are prey-driven and chase the lure, but even the ones that are just running to their owners still really love the game!
I often get questions about how to get started in Fast CAT. The sport is becoming increasingly popular, so it's not too hard to give it a try with your dog!
Check out the AKC Event Search tool
Fast CAT is an American Kennel Club sport, which means you can find all official events right on the AKC website using the Event Search tool.
The Event Search results will show a list of events within the parameters you set. They will also show premiums and event information:
Premiums are not available for every event, especially not ones whose entries are not open. Check back, and check the sponsoring club’s social media and website to see if a premium is listed there!
Premiums contain the most information about events, including directions and entry instructions. Some events have online entries and some only accept mailed entries. Some events offer day of registration, while some do not. If you have a premium available to you, read it!
If there isn’t a premium, you can click “view complete event details” which lists contact information for the club and Event Secretary. You can contact the Event Secretary with questions.
I always recommend searching for the club’s website and social media to find up to date event information.
Join the Fast CAT Facebook groups
I’m not a big fan of Facebook these days, but one thing it is great for is community in the dog world. I have done Fast CAT photography for several years now, and I find that Facebook is the most accurate place to find information and ask questions.
Here are a few of the groups I suggest joining:
Fast CATs - National Fast CAT group with over 38,000 members; a great source of information and current Fast CAT events
FAST CAT in N.Eastern USA - Northeastern Fast CAT group for events operated by DRMarketing; only DRMarketing events can be promoted
Midwest Fast CAT Dog Events - Group for Fast CAT events located in the Midwest
2024 FastCat Invitational Group - Unofficial group for Fast CAT Invitationals; the name changes each year to reflect the current Fast CAT season
Colorado Dog Events and Colo Dog Sports - Groups for various dog sport events in Colorado and surrounding states with high Coloradan attendance
Fast CAT Ribbons - A place to find ribbon designs prior to events; some people time their titles to events with the nicest ribbons
Be sure to search for Fast CAT and dog sports groups in your region of the country too if I haven’t listed relevant regional groups for you.
Talk to the “crazy dog people”
Fellow dog nerds, I call us this with love: we are “crazy dog people”. We might not think we are weird, but 95% of people don’t get it!
If you’re part of that 95%, talk to your local crazy dog person. You know the type - the person with more dogs than you would ever want, the person who trots them around a ring hours away from home on the weekends, the friend that is always posting about random letters that stand for “titles” their dogs have earned.
The dog world is pretty small, and us crazy dog people generally have our finger on the pulse of it. If you are looking for a specific type of event like a Fast CAT, your crazy dog friend will probably know where and when to go.
The benefit of speaking with a crazy dog person directly is they can give you the inside scoop. Fast CAT can be a dangerous sport if the lure operator is not experienced, and some Event Secretaries are more organized than others. Your crazy dog person can tell you which lure operators to run with and which events they recommend skipping.
Another bonus: your crazy dog friend will probably go with you, so you have someone to show you the ropes!
Have you been to a Fast CAT event yet? Share a tip for newbies in the comments of this post!
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