So far the stars seem to be aligning for a weekend graduation for Natalie and Nanette. A family with two young girls whose 19-year-old tuxedo passed away recently is ready to adopt them, assuming the one or two remaining procedural steps go smoothly. We hope it happens, because the Nuns are definitely ready to move to the next level and leave their mark on the world (metaphorically speaking).

We also have our fingers crossed because we're scheduled to meet a transport van on Saturday night to pick up a litter of 10-week-old kittens from a rural shelter in South Carolina. Actually, we were ready for that to happen two weeks ago, but then the kittens weren't quite healthy enough and the shelter decided to keep them a bit longer. Then last week, we heard that we'd be getting a mom-cat with nine newborn kittens instead – five of hers and four whose mom was struck and killed by a car the day after they were born. The young surviving mom-cat was trying to nurse all nine kittens, and as fosterers, we'd be able to provide supplemental bottle-feeding.

But we heard yesterday that this mom-cat has stopped eating recently and isn't strong enough to make the trip. One of the kittens died, and the odds probably aren't great for the others. They're getting supplemental care at the shelter. Let's hope some of them make it.

So now we're supposed to get the 10-week-old kittens again… along with (strangely enough) their one-year-old "brother". Since when do one-year-olds hang around long enough with Mom to meet her next litter? Maybe he did some babysitting for her.

I guess we'll only know for sure who's coming to 50K when we meet the van this weekend. And maybe Natty and Nanette will be exploring their new home by then.

filed by: TS