A Vermont university awarded Max, a beloved cat and beloved member of the community, the honorary degree of Doctor of Companion Animals ahead of the students’ graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Vermont State University’s Castleton campus celebrates the feline’s friendliness, not its mousiness or napping.
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“Max the Cat was a loving member of the Castleton family for many years,” the school said in a Facebook post.
The popular tabby cat lives with a human family in a house on the street leading to the campus main gate.
This photo provided by Vermont State University shows Max the Cat standing in front of Woodruff Hall at Vermont State University Castleton on October 12, 2023 in Castleton, Vermont. The Vermont State University Castleton Campus spoke about Max, a beloved member of the community, ahead of Saturday’s graduation of a student with the title of “Doctor of Cat Nature.” The school isn’t praising the feline’s mousing or napping, but rather its friendliness. (Rob Franklin/Vermont State University, via AP)
“So he decided to come up to campus and just started hanging out with the college kids. They love him,” owner Ashley Dow said Thursday.
He has been around campus for about four years and students are excited to see him. She said they like to pick him up, take selfies with him and even go on tours with prospective students who gather in the building across from the family’s home.
“I don’t even know how he knows how to get there, but he does,” Dow said. “And he’ll be accompanying them on tour.”
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Students refer to Dow as Max’s mother, and alumni who return to town often ask how Max is doing.
However, Max will not be attending the graduation ceremony. His degree will be delivered to Dow later.
