Kitten Watch Update: May 28

Good morning, friends! We’re still waking up over here. Some of us are less motivated than others.

L kitten name reveals begin now!

But FIRST, the caveats, disclaimers, and explanations, as follows:

1. With all my YouTube expertise, I have sexed Leap’s babies. So, you know, you get what you pay for. We may learn later I was wrong. HOWEVER, the shelter confirmed I got all 5 of Quantum’s kittens RIGHT, so hopefully I’m on a roll! We’ll adjust later if needed, as we do with humans.

2. Leap’s kittens presented an interesting naming challenge. Our western culture has presented us with primarily men as time travelers, but four of Leap’s kittens are female. WAY TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO, LADIES! 🙌🏼 Your suggestions and ideas were invaluable in sourcing iconic women travelers. I hope you love where we’ve landed.

3. In addition to a time traveler icon, each kitten received a nickname from the cosmos. And each has an L in its name.

I’ll be sharing the kittens in birth order along with new photos of them at five days old.

First is our boy. Given that there was only one, and in keeping with the Quantum Leap theme, please welcome…

Sam “Leo” Beckett of Quantum Leap fame. Alternatively, you can call him Scott “Leo” Bakula. Initials are the same either way. Leo is, of course, the lion constellation.

Introducing L2…

The Doctor “Lyra” Gallifrey

Because there simply cannot be time travelers without the Doctor. Yes? Yes. Of course.

(Also, yes, I know the Doctor’s last name isn’t Gallifrey. But I’m treating her like the British royals who take surnames like Wales as needed.)

Welcome L3…

Allison “Alula” Hargreeves

You’ll know Allison Hargreeves is Number Three from Umbrella Academy. L3 and Number Three? It was meant to be!

And speaking of perfect pairs, L3 and L4 are Leap’s twins. I’ve been waiting and waiting for them to be side-by-side so I could get a pic to show you, but no luck. So I took this opportunity to have Greg hold them together for us. When Megan Backman suggested Alula as a cosmic nickname, I knew we had to use it for this little one. Alula is the first of twin stars and is Arabic for “leaping” across the sky. Ideal for the first of Leap’s twins!

Introducing L4…

Meg “Lynx” Murry of A Wrinkle in Time. Lynx is a stealthy, quiet, feline constellation and, of course, Lynx “links” to her twin, Lula.

And finally, L5…

Meet Claire de “Lune” Fraser of Outlander fame.

I have loved Outlander for years (by which I mean JAMIE IS ON MY LIST) so Claire was a natural choice. When Betsy Rabkin Fishman paired it with Lune—clair de lune is moonlight in French—I knew we had our moniker for the last of Leap’s babies. Little miss Lune shines bright, a beacon of light.

P.S. Sorry this took so long today. I meant to get them all announced quickly but then my human children required time and attention. Don’t worry; I punished them. (And by “punished” I mean I gave them ice cream. 🤷🏻‍♀️)