I saw this on Janice's blog! What a lovely compussition.
Max the campus cat? Try Dr. Max the Cat, thank you very much.
The college couldn't put Max on the payroll (likely thanks to his lack of valid ID and tax documents), so they've offered him the special honor instead.
Vermont State University Castleton's 2024 graduating class had the honor of sharing their commencement celebrations over the weekend with none other than Max, a tabby cat who has become something of a local celebrity during his time at the university.
Max, recognized by the college by his formal name Max Dow, has become something of a fixture on campus since moving into his nearby home with his mom, Ashley Dow, about five years ago.
A former feral kitten of a nearby town, Max moved onto the very same street that leads to the campus's main entrance. The curious kitty soon learned that, while school can be a slog for some, college can be lots of fun for felines.
When Max was about a year old, he began exploring his neighborhood, Dow said. One day, he went missing and his family began the search. That's when they first found him on campus and, soon, they began hearing from the students.
"They just love him," Dow said, "I get students giving me welfare checks on him throughout the day."
For Max, paying a visit to the Castleton campus means getting lots of attention, taking rides on backpacks, scaling the greenhouse, posing for endless selfies, basking anywhere he pleases and even leading tour groups.
"He's been on the dean's desk, he made himself at home on the dean's desk," Dow said. "He's been in the coffee house, he walked right up to the head of the graduate program and she tracked me down and asked if I was Max's mom."
Max even attempts to visit the campus during breaks but returns disappointed after discovering no students are there, said Dow. Once, he got confused and stopped visiting after classes resumed, prompting students who thought he had disappeared to make a memorial for him, complete with framed photos and candles.
Congratulations Max!
