Howard County Welcomes Its First Cat Café, Luna Cat Collective

The quaint town of Ellicott City, Maryland, is now home to its first cat café, the Luna Cat Collective, which opened on October 4, 2023. This unique establishment invites guests to enjoy Taiwanese treats while interacting with ten adoptable cats. The café aims to create a serene environment for both the felines and visitors, where relaxation and community engagement take center stage.

Owners Ruth Wang and Brendan Morrison designed Luna Cat Collective as a space where people can unwind and cats can find loving homes. “Cats are very calming. They are very stress-relieving, so we thought that this would be a perfect place to build a community space,” Wang explained. The café also collaborates with Small Miracles Cat and Dog Rescue to facilitate cat adoptions, ensuring that each cat has a chance at a forever home.

The café’s menu features a selection of Taiwanese tea and pastries, sourced from local and Taiwanese vendors, including fresh baked goods from Japong Bakery in Rockville. Visitors can enjoy self-serve tea from Mountain Stream Teas in Taiwan and coffee roasted by Vigilante Coffee Company based in Hyattsville. This emphasis on Taiwanese culture is close to Wang’s heart, as she grew up in Gaithersburg and wanted to honor her heritage through this venture.

Planning for the café began shortly after Wang and Morrison’s wedding in November 2023. The idea was born during a challenging period in Wang’s life. After losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018, she found solace in adopting two cats, which helped her cope with her grief. “They were with me all the time at the time I was grieving,” she said. “They definitely helped me process all of the grief and heal over that time period, so I wanted to provide that for people as well.”

Inside Luna Cat Collective, the atmosphere is welcoming, with soft music playing and air purifiers humming in the background. The design includes various lounging areas for cats, equipped with perches, couches, and even cat-only rooms to provide them space to retreat when needed. The café operates with limited hours, generally open for seven hours each day, allowing the cats sufficient time to relax away from guests.

The journey to opening the café was not without its challenges. Wang and Morrison initially aimed for a December 2024 launch, but navigating health, safety, and zoning regulations proved complex. After assessing over 50 locations, they found a site that met the necessary criteria for both an animal rescue and food service establishment. “We were very optimistic,” Wang recalled, laughing, “but this was honestly perfect.”

The café has quickly become a haven for both cats and customers. Guests can purchase passes for stays ranging from 45 minutes to a full day, allowing them to spend quality time with the feline residents. One cat, named Jasper, already has a pending adoption application, highlighting the café’s success in facilitating connections between people and pets.

Wang and Morrison observe a positive transformation in the cats since their arrival at the café. For instance, Storm, a cat found in a storm drain, initially exhibited fearful behavior but has since become more relaxed and sociable. Similarly, sisters Katie and Gracie, rescued from an abusive environment, have begun to display affectionate behaviors like rolling over for belly pets.

Wang expressed her joy in seeing the impact the café has on visitors. “One of the most rewarding things for me is sometimes I see some guests walk in and they’re having a really stressful day, and when they leave, they’re just smiling,” she said. Morrison added, “The cats get the same effect.”

Through Luna Cat Collective, Wang and Morrison not only seek to provide a place of comfort for the community but also aim to create a nurturing environment for the cats. Their dedication to this mission reflects a personal journey of healing and compassion, both for themselves and the animals in their care.

“Seeing people smile just means the world to me,” Wang stated. “It feels like I’ve gone through that personal journey of seeing what I can do for the community and for the cats … [and] creating the best space for both of them.”