Cat racing actually took place both here in England, and in Belgium. Harrison Weir, in1889 quotes in his cat book, a publication called 'The Pictorial Times' of 16th June 1860: "Cat-racing is a sport which stands high in popular favour. In one of the suburbs of Liège it is an affair of annual observance during carnival time... The cats are tied up in sacks, and as soon as the clock strikes the solemn hour of midnight the sacks are unfastened, the cats let loose, and the race begins. The winner is the cat which first reaches home, and the prize awarded to its owner is sometimes a ham, sometimes a silver spoon. On the occasion of the last competition the prize was won by a blind cat."

In 1936 at Portisham in Dorset, England a cat racetrack similar to a greyhound track was opened. The course measured 202 metres (220 yards} long, and was equipped with an electric mouse for the competing felines to chase. The last recorded attempt to race cats was in Kent, England in 1949. It is no surprise that both these attempts to race cats competitively failed.  

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