My name is Crystal Burditt. I own and operate a registered animal shelter, which is on one side of the duplex that I have acquired. The other side is a boutique featuring 40 local artists and specializing in working with individuals with disabilities. When I came to this state five years ago I was fleeing a marriage of almost 20 years to the shelter for domestic violence. I had only the clothes on my back and the covers from my bed. That is when I met my best friend Calcifer, he is my cat.
Not only did i notice the tremendous impact he had on my recovery, I noticed the impact he had on the the other women and children in the shelter as well. That is when I began to pursue my dream of owning a cat cafe. It took me over a year and a half to get a variance in government, going door to door and business to business. I went to every township and planning committee meeting until my prayers were answered.
I somehow managed to raise twenty percent down on the property that is now the cafe and shelter. Then it was time to get on my hands and knees and remodel. Thankfully I live in such an amazing community that I had many volunteers help make this dream possible. I took another six months to open the animal shelter. This time I borrowed and took out loans to cover costs until I could get the business up and running as well. April of 2025 marked our one year anniversary, with the incredible blessing of over one hundred cats adopted.
I myself have a few disabilities such as ADHD and PTSD which fueled my passion to help others with similar struggles and challenges. I host and facilitate a domestic violence support group twice a month. We host home school meets, a community game night, Gaming for Growth (which raises money for children's hospitals), and multiple other activities throughout each week. I have the honor of working with individuals with autism, disabilities, and other social challenges on a daily basis.
We are in urgent need of funds for bringing the entire building up to code, including fireproofing the animal shelter, to ensure the safety of the rescue kitties. We will also be updating the building to make it more accessible to individuals with autism and other disabilities.
