By Nessa Bleill
Calling all cat lovers! Champaign-Urbana finally has a place to enjoy coffee and the company of felines.
The Scratching Post, 114 E. University Ave., is part cat cafe and part board game cafe. In the back of the cafe is a cat lounge featuring more than 25 cats, all of which are up for adoption. The main cafe has a wall of board games available via purchased pass for customers to play and enjoy.
The cat lounge is available to access by online reservation. Each appointment is 50 minutes and costs $16.88. (The cats can only withstand so many people in the lounge at once, making appointments necessary.) Once you arrive for your appointment, you will sign a waiver online. The attendant will go over the rules once more and then allow you to enter. Inside the lounge are places to sit and for the cats to hang out. There are even cats in the ceiling!
Note to parents: Children under 7 are not permitted in the lounge. Only two children between ages 7-12 are allowed in the lounge at once and an adult with a reservation must be supervising. Although young children cannot play with the cats, there is are viewing windows into the lounge from the main cafe.
The collection of more than 400 board games can be accessed by purchasing a board game pass, $5 for two hours. These passes are sold on a walk-in basis. You are also welcome to bring your own game and use the business’ board game tables to play. You’ll soon be able to reserve a table or a specific game.
The cafe has a small menu featuring a variety of drinks such as coffees, soda, beer and tea. Snacks include cookie dough, popcorn, chocolate and other candy. The menu will rotate and the cafe is open to suggestions. You can purchase drinks and snacks to bring into the lounge but make sure to not feed them to the cats.
The Scratching Post donates 20 percent of food, drink and merchandise sales back to its non-profit partnership rescues.
Keep in mind when planning your trip that The Scratching Post is open afternoons only on Tuesday through Sunday. Also note that The Scratching Post does not have a parking lot. Parking is available by meter on the surrounding streets or paid parking lots.