by Kaycee Chance | Photo by Linda Earley
“Everyone needs a little bit of unconditional love,” Kelley Barnes, vice
president of community engagement at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, says of her love of animals and being a “pet mom” to cats Sammy Jammy, Blue, and porch kitties Peeka and Boo. Although Kelley is currently a cat mom, she is a true animal lover through and through. “I can’t say that I’m a dog or cat person,” she explains. “I’m just an animal person. I love them all!”
The Oklahoma City Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity that benefits the community through the development and administration of charitable funds. The foundation provides resources to donors to make contributions possible.
Being the vice president of community engagement, there is no doubt that Kelley has been all too aware of the plight of stray animals in Oklahoma.
“I’ve had some very special dogs in my life, both growing up and as an adult — always stray or found on the side of the road. And all of my cats have been walkups; they found me! I just go with it.”
Sammy Jammy and Blue
Kelley has several kitties in her care. Sammy Jammy, Blue, Peeka, and Boo are some of those special walk-up kitties who claim the Barnes family as their own.
Sammy Jammy, a distinguished and handsome tabby cat, has been with the
family since 2012, when he became part of the crew by walking through the doggy door and making himself right at home. Now, at about 12 years of age, Sammy Jammy has settled down because his eyesight is a bit compromised.
“He had inverted eyelids that we had to have surgically repaired,” Kelley explains.
“I’m pretty sure he still doesn’t see too well,” but nonetheless, he is a happy and spoiled boy under her care.
The next cat to find her way into the Barnes family was Blue, a shy but beautiful girl who had a very rough start to her life. Blue was rescued about six years ago when a family friend found her under an air conditioner with a badly injured leg, possibly from being hit by or thrown from a car. “Thanks to Dr. Baez at Midtown Vets, we were able to have her leg amputated,” Kelley says. Now Blue is a spoiled house cat who demands the attention of her mom and even alerts her when the FedEx truck arrives.
“She does not like the FedEx truck! Likely from her start to life, vehicles scare her. Of course she has a safe place to hide and tuck away now, but she always lets me know when the truck is on the block.” When Blue isn’t keeping an eye on neighborhood traffic, she is demanding attention. “Blue knows she is spoiled. She will even scream like a little goat when she wants something from me!”
Sammy Jammy and Blue get along well
and spend their days lounging around.
“They just love to sleep all day while I’m at work,” Kelley says of her spoiled kitty crew.
Peeka and Boo
That kitty crew also includes two very special but shy porch kitties, Peeka and Boo. “We’ve had them since 2006 when their mother had kittens on the front porch during a snowstorm.” Kelley quickly began to care for the cat family and still cares for Peeka and Boo all these years later. Although they have never become fully social, they are very much a part of the Barnes family and are treated as such. “They look in the window every morning at 7:15 while my coffee is brewing, like clockwork! They’re ready for breakfast and even adjust to daylight savings time with us.” Kelley can tell them apart by a small tuft of white fur on an otherwise solid black body. Peeka is more likely to stay close to home lounging on her bed while Boo explores a bit. “It’s just the craziest thing that we’ve had them all these years! We definitely love them.”
Although it’s clear that the Barnes kitties are beyond loved and spoiled, Kelley emphasizes the benefits she gets from her kitty crew in return.
“Pets are simply great companions,” she says. “They are huge stress relievers, and they love you no matter what. We all need that.
