CASTLETON, Vt. (AP): Max the cat, a cherished member of the community at Vermont State University’s Castleton campus, has been granted the honorary degree of “doctor of litter-ature” ahead of students’ graduation on Saturday.
Max isn’t being recognized for his mouse-catching skills or his fondness for napping, but rather for his remarkable friendliness.
“Max the Cat has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years,” the university announced in a Facebook post.
This popular tabby resides with his human family on the street leading to the campus’s main entrance. Despite his domestic setting, Max has taken to campus life with enthusiasm.
“So he decided that he would go up on campus, and he just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him,” explained owner Ashley Dow.
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For approximately four years, Max has been mingling with students, who eagerly greet him whenever he appears. They often pick him up, take selfies with him, and Max even accompanies prospective students on tours, meeting them at a building across from his family’s house.
“I don’t even know how he knows to go, but he does,” Dow marveled. “And then he’ll follow them on their tour.”
To the students, Dow is affectionately known as “Max’s mom,” and graduates returning to town frequently inquire about Max’s well-being.
Although Max won’t be walking at the graduation ceremony, his honorary degree will be delivered to Dow at a later time.
