The Kelleys, charitable cat lovers

By Joe Schoenmann

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The Sun wrote in mid-August about a county proposal to “legalize” feral cats, which would allow people to take care of cat colonies as long as they work to get the animals neutered and vaccinated. The story prompted Audrey and Charlie Kelley to start a $5,000 matching fund campaign for the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary. Audrey, 80, a retired marketer, and Charlie, 83, a retired nuclear physicist, have given $60,000 or more to similar efforts since moving here in 2000.

1. Why do you care about feral cats?

Ever since I was a little girl (in England), I’ve been rescuing cats. I just feel so sad if I see a homeless cat. It breaks my heart.

2. Some people might ask why the money shouldn’t go to help children or the homeless.

We do that, too. I like to shut people up when we tell them that. We don’t give as much ... but we do give. And we like to stick with groups where we know where the money is going.

3. So both you and your husband feel the same way about cats?

Oh heavens, yes. This was the luckiest thing, when I wrote the list of requirements for a husband, it was such a long list, but Charlie had every one of them, including the love of cats. He does have blue eyes and I had “brown” on my list — but he shares my passion for helping animals and people, and he doesn’t mind me giving his money away. So that was a big bonus.

4. In your other matching fund campaigns, have people responded?

Very much. The first time we did it, I put together an ad with a very sad-looking cat on it, and I put it in every year. The first time I did it, it brought in $6,000.

5. That’s a lot of money for some people.

You know, I’ve never been very interested in furs and jewels and material things. Charlie and I do this.

6. Where do these deep-seated feelings come from?

If people knew how good it felt to help in some way, they wouldn’t spend as much money on silly things.