BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CalDiscovery//caldiscovery//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH DESCRIPTION:Champaign: next 7 days (Thu Sep 17 to Wed Sep 23\, America/Chi cago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather t han download. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscov ery.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information f rom CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/champaign-il/next-7-days.ics X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT12H REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT12H X-WR-CALDESC:Champaign: next 7 days (Thu Sep 17 to Wed Sep 23\, America/Ch icago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather than download. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldisco very.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information from CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. X-WR-CALNAME:Champaign · next 7 days · CalDiscovery BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Little Groovers: Music and Movement DTSTART:20260917T150000Z DTEND:20260917T153000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T113038Z UID:10002184-1789639200-1789641000@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family,music DESCRIPTION:Your littles are invited to wiggle\, giggle\, and groove their way to fun while engaging their imaginations\, enhancing motor skills\, a nd building social connections! \nWe’ll explore rhythm\, sound\, and mov ement with a fun selection of songs and dances. \nAges 2-5 and caregivers. No registration required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T113038Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/little-groovers-fall26/2026-09- 17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wonder Club: Books (Early Afternoon Session) DTSTART:20260917T180000Z DTEND:20260917T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260825T003214Z UID:10002222-1789650000-1789653600@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:education,family DESCRIPTION:Curious students in grades 2-5 are invited to join us for Wond er Club! At each monthly session\, we’ll explore a different question an d complete a hands-on activity to put learning into practice! \nSession To pics:\n\nSeptember: How are books made?\nOctober: What are stars made of?\ nNovember: How do animals communicate?\n\nRegister for ONE session each mo nth:\n\nSeptember 17 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\nOctober 22 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\nNovember 19 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\n\nPlease Note: There will be TWO se ssions with the same topic and activities each month. Please register for ONE session. \nGrades 2-5. Registration required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T003214Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/wonder-club-books-1pm/?utm_sour ce=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Volunteer Orientation DTSTART:20260917T180000Z DTEND:20260917T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10001099-1789668000-1789671600@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Whether you’re interested in helping with a single event or serving regularly\, we will find the right place for you! There are no mi nimum volunteer hour requirements. Whether you can volunteer for an hour o r stay for the day\, we’d love your help! LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation/2026-09- 17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play 500+ Board Games DTSTART:20260917T190000Z DTEND:20260918T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260910T062907Z UID:10001691-1789653600-1789682400@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T062907Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-500-board-games/2026-09-17/?ut m_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Local Art Exhibit - Shauri E Gonzalez DTSTART:20260917T190000Z DTEND:20260918T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260910T062907Z UID:10005920-1789653600-1789682400@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:arts DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T062907Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/local-art-exhibit-shauri-e-gonzalez /2026-09-17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign -il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play with 20+ Adoptable Cats! DTSTART:20260917T193000Z DTEND:20260918T022000Z DTSTAMP:20260910T062907Z UID:10000386-1789655400-1789680000@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T062907Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-with-20-adoptable-cats/2026-09 -17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wonder Club: Books (After School Session) DTSTART:20260917T210000Z DTEND:20260917T220000Z DTSTAMP:20260825T003214Z UID:10002223-1789660800-1789664400@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:education,family DESCRIPTION:Curious students in grades 2-5 are invited to join us for Wond er Club! At each monthly session\, we’ll explore a different question an d complete a hands-on activity to put learning into practice! \nSession To pics:\n\nSeptember: How are books made?\nOctober: What are stars made of?\ nNovember: How do animals communicate?\n\nRegister for ONE session each mo nth:\n\nSeptember 17 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\nOctober 22 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\nNovember 19 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm\n\nPlease Note: There will be TWO se ssions with the same topic and activities each month. Please register for ONE session. \nGrades 2-5. Registration required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T003214Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/wonder-club-books-4pm/?utm_sour ce=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Urbana Night Market DTSTART:20260917T230000Z DTEND:20260918T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260910T062907Z UID:10005950-1789668000-1789678800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:market DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T062907Z LOCATION:Lincoln Square Mall\, 300 S Broadway Ave\, Urbana\, IL\, 61801\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/urbana-night-market/2026-09-17/?utm _source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Cookbook Club: Of Course It's Good! DTSTART:20260917T233000Z DTEND:20260918T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T113038Z UID:10002228-1789669800-1789673400@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:community,food DESCRIPTION:Join us at the library\, to explore new recipes\, share cookin g tips\, and enjoy delicious food together! This program is intended for a dults who enjoy cooking and sharing food together. All experience levels a re welcome. \nEach Cookbook Club will feature a selected cookbook and atte ndees will bring a dish from the book to share. Copies of the cookbook wil l be available one month in advance at the library’s circulation desk. \ nDates and Cookbooks:\nSeptember 17: Of Course It’s Good! by Jessica Sec rest\nNovember 12: Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis \nAdults. Registra tion required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T113038Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/cookbook-club-sept2026/?utm_sou rce=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Knitting Night! DTSTART:20260918T000000Z DTEND:20260918T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260911T062820Z UID:10005869-1789671600-1789678800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T062820Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/knitting-night-4-2/?utm_source=cald iscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Happy Hour - Drink Specials & Catnip! DTSTART:20260918T010000Z DTEND:20260918T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260911T062820Z UID:10002996-1789675200-1789682400@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:drink DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T062820Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/happy-hour-drink-specials-catnip-2/ 2026-09-17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign- il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Preschool Playdate DTSTART:20260918T150000Z DTEND:20260918T160000Z DTSTAMP:20260817T003008Z UID:10002167-1789725600-1789729200@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:community,family DESCRIPTION:Children (ages 2-5) and their caregivers are welcome to join u s on Friday mornings for open-ended playtime! \nEach session will feature a different assortment of toys and activities. \nAges 2-5 and caregivers. Younger siblings welcome. No registration required. No playdate on Octobe r 16 due to the Book Sale or November 27 due to Thanksgiving Break. LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T003008Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/playdate-fall26/2026-09-18/?utm _source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting - via zoom DTSTART:20260918T170000Z DTEND:20260918T175000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T113048Z UID:event_314851379@meetup.com CATEGORIES:tech DESCRIPTION:WordPress Downstate\nJoin us to discuss any and all things Wor dPress\, from how to get started to advanced development tricks and tips. We'll begin with introductions and welcoming new members\, then work throu gh any practical WordPress challenges people might have. Often someone in attendance can help fix a WordPress issue on the spot\, and everyone learn s.\n\nSome recent/recurring threads of interest have included strategies f or effectively using tags and categories and how to extend WordPress capab ilities with custom post types. LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T113048Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/wordpressdownstate/events/314851379/?utm_source =caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:WordPress Downstate END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play 500+ Board Games DTSTART:20260918T190000Z DTEND:20260919T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260911T062820Z UID:10001692-1789740000-1789768800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T062820Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-500-board-games/2026-09-18/?ut m_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Local Art Exhibit - Shauri E Gonzalez DTSTART:20260918T190000Z DTEND:20260919T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260911T062820Z UID:10005921-1789740000-1789768800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:arts DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T062820Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/local-art-exhibit-shauri-e-gonzalez /2026-09-18/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign -il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play with 20+ Adoptable Cats! DTSTART:20260918T193000Z DTEND:20260919T022000Z DTSTAMP:20260911T062820Z UID:10000387-1789741800-1789766400@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T062820Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-with-20-adoptable-cats/2026-09 -18/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Lakeside Brews\, Beats & Eats DTSTART:20260918T220000Z DTEND:20260919T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260918T003939Z UID:10001605-1789750800-1789765200@champaignparks.org CATEGORIES:drink,festival,food,music DESCRIPTION:Must be 21+ to enter! \n\n\n\nExperience the ultimate summer c elebration for those 21 and over! Lakeside Brews\, Beats\, and Eats brings together live music\, a food truck rally\, and a selection of top-tier br ews. \n\n\n\nFood and beverages available for purchase via cash or card. \ n\n\n\nDrink Menu:Beer:Bodem IPAYuenglingCoors LightMichelob UltraBusch Li ghtBlue Moon N/AWine:MoscatoSauvignon BlancRosePinot Noir \n\n\n\n\n\n\nVi ew Facebook Event Page\n\n\n\n\n\n\nParking: Please park in the Farnsworth Group lot next to Heritage Park (2211 W Bradley Ave). \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBea ts by:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nValius\n\n\n\nPerforming covers of beloved songs in genres that include: \n\n\n\n\n🎶 Rock\n\n\n\n🎶 Pop\n\n\n\n🎶 C ountry\n\n\n\n🎶 Grunge\n\n\n\n🎶 Rap\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nPlus original music! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Divas\n\n\n\nPerforming the music of: \n\n\ n\n\n🎤 Whitney Houston\n\n\n\n🎤 Céline Dion\n\n\n\n🎤 Cher\n\n\n\ n🎤 Donna Summer\n\n\n\n🎤 Aretha Franklin\n\n\n\n🎤 Beyoncé\n\n\n\ n🎤 Lady Gaga\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n& more! \n\n\n\n\n\nBrews by:\n\n\n\nSoi ree Mobile Bar \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWe invite you to contribute a $5 donation a t the entrance in support of our scholarship fund\, helping to pave the wa y for a brighter future for aspiring talents in our community. \n\n\n\n\nC hampaign Parks Foundation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGet Involved!\n\n\n\n\nAPPLY TO BE A FOOD VENDOR\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank You to Our Sponsors! LAST-MODIFIED:20260918T003939Z LOCATION:Heritage Park\, 2101 W Bradley Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 61822 URL:https://champaignparks.org/event/lakeside-brews-beats-eats/?utm_source =caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Champaign Park District X-SOURCE-URL:https://champaignparks.org/places/the-virginia-theatre END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Barnyard Bash DTSTART:20260918T230000Z DTEND:20260919T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T122731Z UID:10002556-1789754400-1789761600@champaignparks.org CATEGORIES:festival,food,music DESCRIPTION:Enjoy a night of live music at Prairie Farm! This cool fall ni ght will include local food trucks\, hayrack rides\, petting adorable anim als\, games\, crafts\, s’mores\, and more! Find specifics about the even t features below! \n\n\n\nAdmission is just $5 per person\, and registrat ion is required for each participant (on-site registration available). \n\ n\n\n\n\n\nPre-Register Today!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Event Page\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLive Entertainment:\n\n\n\nPhilo Country Opry Ban d \n\n\n\nFood Trucks:\n\n\n\n🌾 Mama D’s Smokehouse🌾 Main Scoop \n \n\n\nActivities:\n\n\n\n🌾 Goat petting🌾 Temporary tattoos🌾 S’m ores making🌾 Hayrack rides🌾 Crafts🌾 Yard games🌾 Photo op area \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLook Back at Last Year’s Event LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T122731Z LOCATION:Prairie Farm\, 2202 W Kirby Ave\, 217-398-2583\, 61821\, United S tates URL:https://champaignparks.org/event/prairie-farm-barn-bash/?utm_source=ca ldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Champaign Park District X-SOURCE-URL:https://champaignparks.org/places/the-virginia-theatre END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Happy Hour - Drink Specials & Catnip! DTSTART:20260919T010000Z DTEND:20260919T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260912T062906Z UID:10002997-1789761600-1789768800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:drink DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260912T062906Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/happy-hour-drink-specials-catnip-2/ 2026-09-18/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign- il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:RESCHEDULED! - Drag Bingo! DTSTART:20260919T010000Z DTEND:20260919T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260917T003120Z UID:10005864-1789761600-1789768800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T003120Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/drag-bingo-6/?utm_source=caldiscove ry&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Weekend Storytime DTSTART:20260919T150000Z DTEND:20260919T153000Z DTSTAMP:20260819T003310Z UID:10002230-1789812000-1789813800@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family,literary DESCRIPTION:Start your weekend off strong with stories\, songs\, and smile s at our monthly Weekend Storytime! Children ages 0-6 and their caregivers are invited to join us for a fun-filled program featuring engaging books\ , music\, and movement that promote early literacy skills and are sure to spark a love of reading. \nDates:\n\nSeptember 19\nOctober 10\nDecember 12 \n\nAges 0-6. No registration required. No Weekend Storytime in November d ue to the Stuffed Animal Sleepover. LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T003310Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/weekend-storytime-fall2026/2026 -09-19/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Narcotics Anonymous Community Meetings DTSTART:20260919T183000Z DTEND:20260919T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10000838-1789842600-1789848000@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:We currently host three different weekly NA meetings open to a nyone in the community looking for support in actively recovering from nar cotics addiction. No registration is necessary. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/narcotics-anonymous-meetings/2 026-09-19/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-i l X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play 500+ Board Games DTSTART:20260919T190000Z DTEND:20260920T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260912T062906Z UID:10001693-1789826400-1789855200@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260912T062906Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-500-board-games/2026-09-19/?ut m_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Local Art Exhibit - Shauri E Gonzalez DTSTART:20260919T190000Z DTEND:20260920T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260912T062906Z UID:10005922-1789826400-1789855200@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:arts DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260912T062906Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/local-art-exhibit-shauri-e-gonzalez /2026-09-19/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign -il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Demo Day! DTSTART:20260919T190000Z DTEND:20260920T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260912T062906Z UID:10004918-1789826400-1789855200@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260912T062906Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/demo-day-3-2-3-2/2026-09-19/?utm_so urce=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play with 20+ Adoptable Cats! DTSTART:20260919T193000Z DTEND:20260920T022000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10000388-1789828200-1789852800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-with-20-adoptable-cats/2026-09 -19/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Happy Hour - Drink Specials & Catnip! DTSTART:20260920T010000Z DTEND:20260920T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10002998-1789848000-1789855200@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:drink DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/happy-hour-drink-specials-catnip-2/ 2026-09-19/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign- il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Narcotics Anonymous Community Meeting DTSTART:20260920T130000Z DTEND:20260920T140000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10000316-1789909200-1789912800@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:We currently host three different weekly NA meetings open to a nyone in the community looking for support in actively recovering from nar cotics addiction. No registration is necessary. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/narcotics-anonymous-community- meeting-12/2026-09-20/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign =champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:DH Future Stars Summer Skills Camp DTSTART:20260920T180000Z DTEND:20260920T203000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T183106Z UID:10002772-1789909200-1789918200@champaignparks.org CATEGORIES:sports DESCRIPTION:Join DH Workouts\, one of Chicagoland’s premier basketball t raining programs\, and the Champaign Park District for the Future Stars Sk ills Camp featuring Illini basketball players Tomislav Ivisic\, Zvonimir I visic\, Jake Davis\, Lincoln Williams\, Quinten Coleman and other special guest coaches! (Ages 7 – 17) \n\n\n\nThis exciting camp is open to both boys and girls of all skill levels. Every participant will receive gifts f rom our camp sponsors and will have the opportunity to meet the players fo r photos and autographs following the camp. Camp participants will have th e chance to enter a raffle to win autographed jerseys signed by Tomislav I visic\, Zvonimir Ivisic\, Jake Davis\, Lincoln Williams\, and Quinten Cole man. Raffle entries will be available for purchase on the day of the camp for $25 per entry. Don’t miss your chance to take home a unique piece of memorabilia from the Illini Basketball Players! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFaceboo k Event Page\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSign Up Today! LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T183106Z LOCATION:Leonhard Recreation Center\, 2307 Sangamon Dr\, Champaign\, IL\, 61821\, United States URL:https://champaignparks.org/event/dh-future-stars-summer-skills-camp-ag es-7-17/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Champaign Park District X-SOURCE-URL:https://champaignparks.org/places/the-virginia-theatre END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play 500+ Board Games DTSTART:20260920T190000Z DTEND:20260921T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10001694-1789912800-1789941600@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-500-board-games/2026-09-20/?ut m_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Local Art Exhibit - Shauri E Gonzalez DTSTART:20260920T190000Z DTEND:20260921T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10005923-1789912800-1789941600@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:arts DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/local-art-exhibit-shauri-e-gonzalez /2026-09-20/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign -il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play with 20+ Adoptable Cats! DTSTART:20260920T193000Z DTEND:20260921T022000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10000389-1789914600-1789939200@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-with-20-adoptable-cats/2026-09 -20/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Senior Style Show DTSTART:20260920T200000Z DTEND:20260920T230000Z DTSTAMP:20260915T183856Z UID:10002768-1789916400-1789927200@champaignparks.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:It’s almost time for the Annual Senior Style Show! \n\n\n\n Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets will be sold from August 10- September 11 and can be purchased at the Douglass Annex\, Martens Center\, and Hays Recreation Center. \n\n\n\nTicket Price: $20 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nF acebook Event Page\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGet Tickets!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nThank You to Our Sponsors! LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T183856Z LOCATION:Douglass Community Center\, 512 E Grove St\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://champaignparks.org/event/senior-style-show/?utm_source=caldisc overy&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Champaign Park District X-SOURCE-URL:https://champaignparks.org/places/the-virginia-theatre END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Happy Hour - Drink Specials & Catnip! DTSTART:20260921T010000Z DTEND:20260921T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10002999-1789934400-1789941600@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:drink DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/happy-hour-drink-specials-catnip-2/ 2026-09-20/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign- il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Volunteer Orientation DTSTART:20260921T120000Z DTEND:20260921T130000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10001939-1789992000-1789995600@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Whether you’re interested in helping with a single event or serving regularly\, we will find the right place for you! There are no mi nimum volunteer hour requirements. Whether you can volunteer for an hour o r stay for the day\, we’d love your help! LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation-2/2026-0 9-21/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:First Chapter Fight Club: Grades K-3 DTSTART:20260921T203000Z DTEND:20260921T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T183834Z UID:10002237-1790004600-1790006400@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family,literary DESCRIPTION:Don’t judge a book by its cover! Judge it by its first chapt er! Listen to Ms. Becca read the first chapters of several different books \, then pit them against each other in a battle of the books to decide the winner! \nEach month\, we’ll focus on a different genre: \nSeptember: Survival and Adventure Stories \nOctober: Mysteries \nNovember: Historical Fiction \nGrades K-3. No registration required. \nPlease Note: This progr am session is geared toward students in grades K-3. Students in grades 4-6 are welcome to join us for the later session at 4:30 pm. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T183834Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/fcfc-grk-3-fall2026/2026-09-21/ ?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:First Chapter Fight Club: Grades 4-6 DTSTART:20260921T213000Z DTEND:20260921T220000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T183834Z UID:10002243-1790008200-1790010000@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family,literary DESCRIPTION:Don’t judge a book by its cover! Judge it by its first chapt er! Listen to Ms. Becca read the first chapters of several different books \, then pit them against each other in a battle of the books to decide the winner! \nEach month\, we’ll focus on a different genre: \nSeptember: Survival and Adventure Stories \nOctober: Mysteries \nNovember: Historical Fiction \nGrades 4-6. No registration required. \nPlease Note: This progr am session is geared toward students in grades 4-6. Students in grades K-3 are welcome to join us for the earlier session at 3:30 pm. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T183834Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/fcfc-gr4-6-fall2026/2026-09-21/ ?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Baby Storytime DTSTART:20260922T143000Z DTEND:20260922T145000Z DTSTAMP:20260902T183829Z UID:10002040-1790069400-1790070600@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family DESCRIPTION:Bring your baby to the Library for a fun storytime featuring l ap bounces\, songs\, rhymes\, and books! \nThis storytime is designed esp ecially for our littlest library lovers (ages 0-18 months) and their careg ivers! \nNo Baby Storytime on November 3\, due to Election Day. LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T183829Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/baby-storytime-fall26/2026-09-2 2/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Toddler Storytime DTSTART:20260922T151500Z DTEND:20260922T154500Z DTSTAMP:20260903T003520Z UID:10002069-1790072100-1790073900@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Library for a storytime specifically designed f or toddlers (ages 18 months to 3 years) and their caregivers\, featuring s ongs\, rhymes and books! \nNo Toddler Storytime on November 3\, due to Ele ction Day. \nPLEASE NOTE: Toddler Storytime has a NEW TIME! Storytime will run from 10:15-10:45 am. LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T003520Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/toddler-storytime-fall26/2026-0 9-22/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Alpha Course: Unpack the Christian Faith Together Mahomet\, Illino is DTSTART:20260922T230000Z DTEND:20260923T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260825T000821Z UID:10006881-1790100000-1790107200@www.wbgl.org CATEGORIES:community,free DESCRIPTION:Alpha is a space to explore life’s big questions and the Chr istian faith in a friendly\, open\, and informal environment. \n\n\n\nWe g ather once a week to share a meal\, watch a short video\, connect with oth ers\, and have honest conversations about life and faith. \n\n\n\nNo quest ion is out of bounds\, and you can discuss as much or as little as you wis h. \n\n\n\nThere is no cost to attend. Dinner and childcare are provided f ree of charge. \n\n\n\nAlpha begins September 8th at 6pm. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdd Event to your calendar\n\n\n\nMake sure you don’t miss a thing! Click one of the buttons below to add the event to y our device’s calendar. LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T000821Z LOCATION:Life Vineyard Church Mahomet\, Illinois\, 702 Turkey Farm Rd.\, M ahomet\, Illinois\, 61853\, United States URL:https://www.wbgl.org/event/alpha-course-unpack-the-christian-faith-tog ether-mahomet-illinois/2026-09-22/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics& utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:WBGL X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.wbgl.org/event/3rd-annual-st-john-lutheran-church -and-school-car-show-champaign-illinois END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Truth & Beauty: Telling Our Stories in Writing that Moves & Matter s DTSTART:20260922T233000Z DTEND:20260923T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T183726Z UID:10002246-1790101800-1790105400@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:In this interactive presentation and workshop\, we will talk a bout reading\, writing\, traveling\, listening\, and imagining\, all as wa ys to freshen and widen our perspectives. Connections to one another throu gh stories\, poems\, and conversation will help us determine what we mean by truth in a moment when the notion and the word are contested. Together\ , we will explore poetic/philosophical truth along with “objective truth \,” and make mini wonder books\, lists of questions\, and ways to approa ch those questions through writing. We will examine how art and writing ca n be fueled not by what we know\, but by what we ask. We will keep our wor ld views – and expressions of our experiences – kaleidoscopic. \nParti cipants will write something – anything from a single line or list to a poem or scene – that feels beautiful and therefore true\, or true and th erefore beautiful. \nPresented by Rachel DeWoskin\, award winning author o f five novels\, a memoir\, and two poetry collections. \nPart of the Road Scholar Program\, funded by Illinois Humanities. \nFor adults and high sch ool students. Registration required. \n  \nAbout Rachel DeWoskin (Chicago \, IL):\nRachel DeWoskin is the award-winning author of five novels: Somed ay We Will Fly (Penguin Random House\, 2019)\; Banshee (Dottir Press\, 201 9)\; Blind (Penguin Random House\, 2015)\; Big Girl Small (FSG\, 2011)\; R epeat After Me (The Overlook Press\, 2009)\; the memoir Foreign Babes in B eijing (WW Norton\, 2005)\, and two poetry collections: Two Menus (Univers ity of Chicago Press\, 2020)\, and Absolute Animal (University of Chicago Press\, 2023). \nHer awards include a National Jewish Book Award\, a Sydne y Taylor Book Award\, the American Library Association’s Alex Award\, an d the Academy of American Poets Award. \nThree of her books\, Foreign Babe s in Beijing\, Someday We Will Fly\, and Banshee\, are being developed for feature film or television. \nDeWoskin’s poems\, essays\, and articles have appeared in journals and anthologies including The New Yorker\, Vanit y Fair\, The Baffler\, Ploughshares\, and New Voices from the Academy of A merican Poets. DeWoskin has been a professor at Boston University\, New Yo rk University\, and the University of Chicago. She is the curator of Theat er For One’s Poetry For One project\, the founder of the Illinois 900 Mi llion Poem Project\, and a member of the national steering committee of Wr iters for Democratic Action (WDA). LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T183726Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/truth-beauty-writing-workshop/? utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Carle Mobile Health Clinic DTSTART:20260923T140000Z DTEND:20260923T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10000140-1790154000-1790179200@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community,wellness DESCRIPTION:Carle’s Mobile Health Clinic will be on-site in our Urbana p arking lot from 9 AM to 4 PM on the first and second Wednesday of each mon th. The clinic provides a variety of services\, including chronic conditio n management and education\, treatment for acute illnesses\, physicals\, w ellness care and assessments\, school and sports physicals\, immunizations \, lab testing\, referrals\, social service applications\, and more. \n\n\ n\nFor more information\, visit their website\, call their team\, or explo re their brochure at the link below. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/carle-mobile-health-clinic-8/2 026-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-i l X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2026 Open Office Hours at Champaign-Urbana Public Health District DTSTART:20260923T150000Z DTEND:20260923T163000Z DTSTAMP:20260729T181015Z UID:10000437-1790157600-1790163000@cusbdc.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Sarah Michaels\, Director of Environmental Health at CUPHD\, h osts Open Office Hours every week to assist food/drink/retail establishmen t owners\, managers\, and workers with questions related to Environmental Health programs and services: https://www.c-uphd.org/environmental-healt h.html. \nThe Open Office Hours are available every Wednesday from 10-11:3 0 AM at CUPHD: 201 W. Kenyon Road\, Champaign\, IL 61820. \nNo pre-registr ation is required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T181015Z LOCATION:Champaign-Urbana Public Health District\, 201 W. Kenyon Road\, Ch ampaign\, IL\, United States URL:https://cusbdc.org/event/2026-open-office-hours-at-champaign-urbana-pu blic-health-district/2026-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&ut m_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign Coun ty EDC X-SOURCE-URL:https://cusbdc.org/venue/champaign-public-library END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Preschool Storytime DTSTART:20260923T150000Z DTEND:20260923T153000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T003544Z UID:10002099-1790157600-1790159400@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:family DESCRIPTION:Enjoy a fun-filled storytime designed for preschool-aged child ren (3-5 years) and their caregivers! \nMPL storytimes feature a fun mix of songs\, rhymes\, and books! \nNo storytime on November 25\, due to Than ksgiving Break. LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T003544Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/preschool-storytime-fall26/2026 -09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Informational Session & Open Office Hours: City of Champaign Small Business Programs (Virtual) DTSTART:20260923T150000Z DTEND:20260923T160000Z DTSTAMP:20260915T182455Z UID:10000491-1790157600-1790161200@cusbdc.org CATEGORIES:community,education DESCRIPTION:Join Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign C ounty EDC & City of Champaign staff members to learn more about the new Ci ty of Champaign Small Business Programs – New Business Program and Growi ng Business Program. \nThis session will include a 30-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session\, which a member of our staff will moderate. Que stions can be submitted via the chat box during the webinar\, or sent to J ordan Held at jordan@champaigncountyedc.org before the day of the webinar. \nTo learn more about the programs available: https://champaignil.gov/pla nning/economic-development/small-business-assistance-programs/ \nDate: Wed nesday\, September 23\, 2026\nTime: 10-11 AM \nLocation: Virtual – Pleas e register to receive a link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/ webinar/register/WN_Xz_0pWF6TImEEdp0RUFhPg \nA digital version of the pre sentation will be sent to all who attend the webinar. LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T182455Z LOCATION:Webinar URL:https://cusbdc.org/event/informational-session-open-office-hours-city- of-champaign-small-business-programs-virtual/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_ medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign Coun ty EDC X-SOURCE-URL:https://cusbdc.org/venue/champaign-public-library END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Narcotics Anonymous Community Meeting DTSTART:20260923T183000Z DTEND:20260923T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T121857Z UID:10000578-1790188200-1790193600@saltandlightministry.org CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:We currently host three different weekly NA meetings open to a nyone in the community looking for support in actively recovering from nar cotics addiction. No registration is necessary. LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T121857Z LOCATION:Salt & Light Urbana IL\, 1819 S Philo Rd.\, Urbana\, IL\, 61802\, United States URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/narcotics-anonymous-community- meeting-13/2026-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign =champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Salt & Light Ministries X-SOURCE-URL:https://saltandlightministry.org/events/volunteer-orientation /2025-03-20 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play 500+ Board Games DTSTART:20260923T190000Z DTEND:20260924T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260913T062918Z UID:10001695-1790172000-1790200800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:gaming DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T062918Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-500-board-games/2026-09-23/?ut m_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Local Art Exhibit - Shauri E Gonzalez DTSTART:20260923T190000Z DTEND:20260924T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260914T063121Z UID:10005924-1790172000-1790200800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:arts DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T063121Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/local-art-exhibit-shauri-e-gonzalez /2026-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign -il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Play with 20+ Adoptable Cats! DTSTART:20260923T193000Z DTEND:20260924T022000Z DTSTAMP:20260914T063121Z UID:10000390-1790173800-1790198400@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:community DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T063121Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/play-with-20-adoptable-cats/2026-09 -23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Elementary Explorers DTSTART:20260923T203000Z DTEND:20260923T213000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T003544Z UID:10002116-1790177400-1790181000@mahometpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:arts,family DESCRIPTION:Join us every Wednesday for a fun\, one hour after school prog ram! Activities will rotate monthly. We’ll usually meet from 3:30-4:30 p m\, but we’ll move it up to 1:30-2:30 pm on early dismissal days. \nSept ember: Art Club \n\nSeptember 2\, 9\, 23\, 30: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm) \nSeptember 16: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)\n\nOctober: Pokémon Club \ n\nOctober 7\, 21\, 28: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm)\nOctober 14: early dis missal (1:30-2:30 pm)\n\nNovember: Maker’s Club \n\nNovember 4\, 18: reg ular time (3:30-4:30 pm)\nNovember 11: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)\nNov ember 25: no meeting\n\nDecember: LEGO Club \n\nDecember 2: regular time ( 3:30-4:30 pm)\nDecember 9: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)\nDecember 16\, 2 3\, 30: no meeting\n\nGrades K-5. No registration required. LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T003544Z URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org/event/elementary-explorers-fall26/202 6-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mahomet Public Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://mahometpubliclibrary.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Study Session Meeting DTSTART:20260923T223000Z DTEND:20260924T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T122731Z UID:10002786-1790184600-1790190000@champaignparks.org CATEGORIES:civic DESCRIPTION:Residents are invited to attend this public study session meet ing with the Champaign Park District Board of Commissioners. Attendees are welcome to make suggestions or comments to improve the programs or facili ties offered during the public comment portion of the meeting. \n\n\n\nRes idents who cannot attend in person can attend via the Zoom link in the mee ting packet. \n\n\n\n\nView Meeting Packet\n\n\n\n\nMeetings are also reco rded and retained for 30 days. Meeting recordings can be found on the Cham paign Park District YouTube channel. \n\n\n\n\nView Meeting Recordings LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T122731Z LOCATION:Bresnan Meeting Center\, 706 Kenwood Rd\, Champaign\, Illinois\, 61821\, United States URL:https://champaignparks.org/event/study-session-meeting-2/?utm_source=c aldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Champaign Park District X-SOURCE-URL:https://champaignparks.org/places/the-virginia-theatre END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Happy Hour - Drink Specials & Catnip! DTSTART:20260924T010000Z DTEND:20260924T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260914T063121Z UID:10003000-1790193600-1790200800@scratchingpostcu.com CATEGORIES:drink DESCRIPTION:Should I Let My Cat Outdoors? \n \n \n \n This can be a hot button topic.  On one side\, having access to the outd oors can be an enriching activity for some cats.  On the other side\, man y shelters have seen that giving a new\, untrained cat access to the outdo ors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.  For shelters who just put months of money and ef fort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter\, microchip\, vac cines\, flea treatment\, dewormer\, pathogen testing\, treatment for injur ies\, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats i mmediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.   We’ re not here to tell you what the right answer is\, but if you’re watchin g a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains \, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.  More often than not\, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right per sonality for walking on a harness\, and then the extensive training that m ust be done indoors\, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:  \n \n \n \n Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses? \n \n \n \n Especially if the cat escapes\, there is a chance they might never be found again.  If they ar e found\, they may be injured by a stray cat\, dog\, racoon\, other wild a nimal\, car\, etc.  They may get fleas\, ticks\, coccidia\, giardia\, cam py\, a variety of worms.  Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several o f these things.  An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly\, even if the y don’t escape\, will need to stay on top of flea\, tick and worm preven tative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something i s contracted.  All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.   \n \n \n \n Is the cat interested i n going outdoors? \n \n \n \n Most cats can live indoo rs only and be completely happy.  Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained.  In many instances\, it’ s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants t o go outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is t he cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors? \n \n \n \n Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be d one 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it.  This can take many weeks to many months to train.  \n \n \n \n Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall? \n \n \n \n This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat i s ever brought outside.  Getting a cat to come when called is very diffic ult\, and they need to do it reliably\, even with ample distractions prese nt.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained? \n \ n \n \n A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST.   Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape\, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked\, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both t o walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall befo re ever going outdoors.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you bringing a cat backpack with you ever y single time the cat goes outdoors?  \n \n \n \n Eve n with perfect training\, owners cannot control other people’s dogs\, wi ld animals\, enticing birds\, etc.  Should the cat come across anything s cary or too distracting during a walk\, the owner should have a backpack a vailable so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safet y until the distraction has passed.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily\, often multiple times a day? \n \ n \n \n Once a cat is properly harness trained\, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside\, so they will nee d to be taken out daily\, sometimes multiple times a day\, much like a dog would.  The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out w hen it’s raining\, snowing\, etc.  \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n Make the best decision for YOUR C AT \n \n \n \n We all want what’s best for our furry family members\, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adv enture cat you see online can put them in harms way.  Take your time.  G et to know your new cat.  Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not.  Love them for whatever kooky personality they have\, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebo dy. ❤️ LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T063121Z LOCATION:The Scratching Post\, 114 E University Ave\, Champaign\, IL\, 618 20\, United States URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/happy-hour-drink-specials-catnip-2/ 2026-09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=champaign- il X-SOURCE-NAME:The Scratching Post X-SOURCE-URL:https://scratchingpostcu.com/event/tabletop-central END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR