Short update:

Norman the foster cat's case was much more complicated than expected. I thought I was taking him in for 2 weeks. 8 months later, he was as healthy as the miracle vets could make him - but deemed un-adoptable because of his special needs. By that time, we had fallen madly in love :) so I adopted him.

He has brought me unlimited love, joy, laughter and cat hair.

I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", about her sojourn into growing food and eating local with her family for a year. It's entertaining, extremely well-researched, down-to-earth :) and terrifically inspiring.