SANFORD, MI — About five years ago, Crystal Burditt moved to Michigan with one dollar to her name.
Burditt said she was leaving a domestic abuse situation in Ohio, so she made her way to the Shelterhouse in Midland.
With the help of the Shelterhouse, Burditt was able to get a phone. After that, she started seeing the popularity of pet cafes popping up all over the world.
“It seemed like the coolest thing in the world and something resonated with me,” she said.
Owner Crystal Burditt pose for a photograph inside the Cozy Cats Cafe cattery located at 330 E. Saginaw Rd. in Sanford, Mich. on Friday, March 21, 2025.Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com
While in the Shelterhouse, Burditt said she was allowed to have her cat, which was a comfort to her and the other women and children there.
“It was so therapeutic to, you know, see how he helped them relax and open up. I’m like ‘You know what? I bet I can take a cat cafe and take this crazy stuff and make it work,‘” Burditt said.
Burditt’s dream of sharing the love and therapeutic benefits she received from her own cat with others bloomed into Cozy Cats Cafe, which opened just over a year ago at 330 E. Saginaw Road.
Cozy Cats Cafe is a duplex with a cat animal shelter on one side and a cafe, spa room and gift shop that fund the shelter on the other side. The two spaces are completely separated with different ventilation systems and two rooms between them.
Because the location is within city limits, Burditt said she had to seek special approval to open and run an animal shelter there. It’s also one of two registered animal shelters in Midland County, the other being the Humane Society of Midland County. But Burditt said her shelter is self-funded and does not receive government grants or tax dollars.
“I went door to door, I went business to business, I went to every town hall meeting, every planning commission meeting. I even brought cupcakes until they finally gave me a variance in government and allowed me to do this,” Burditt said.
In partnership with a local nonprofit animal rescue, Burditt’s shelter has adopted out more than 100 cats since it opened about a year ago.
“I want to tell people about my story because if I can do this, then anyone can do anything they want,” she said.
Cat lovers can visit the cattery for one hour for a cost of $12 for adults or $8 for students and seniors. The price of admission includes a drink from a cafe. Frequent visitors can purchase monthly or yearly passes.
Cats roam freely on the shelter side of the space.
The cafe side of the building features products from over 40 local artists for sale and hosts parties for small groups with ice cream sundae bars, workshops and events, including crafting, self-defense classes, paint-and-sip events, neurodivergent game nights and domestic violence support groups at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
Burditt said she aims to offer an inclusive space and employs people with special needs or “individuals with special characteristics.” She said she works about 100 hours a week and also relies on help from volunteers.
“I wanted to create a place with love and peace that accepted everybody,” Burditt said. “I get donations from amazing people. I could not do it without the amazing people who are behind me and here every day and it’s a blessing.”
Burditt said she wants to make a difference and make a statement with the work she’s doing.
“I’m a cancer survivor and I’ve even fallen asleep at the wheel, so I really do feel like there’s a reason I’m supposed to be here.”
For more information, including hours of operation, pricing and rules for visiting with the cats, go to www.cozycatscafe.com or follow Cozy Cats Cafe on Facebook.
