The tabby has been a staple on campus at Vermont State University for about five years after he began leaving his home to explore the school and get plenty of attention from its students
The tabby has been a staple on campus at Vermont State University for about five years after he began leaving his home to explore the school and get plenty of attention from its students |
Max the campus cat? Try Dr. Max the Cat, thank you very much.
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 told USA TODAY. 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 told USA TODAY. "I get students giving me welfare checks on him throughout the day."
Max the campus cat? Try Dr. Max the Cat, thank you very much.
Max the Cat's campus life
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.
"The college has called a couple of times asking if he's OK and I say, 'No he's fine, he's just fat and lazy,'" Dow joked. "We brought him up a couple of times and ... told him don't forget the people up there because they miss you."
Vermont State University students help keep an eye on Max
Dow said that students at the campus often look out for Max.
Ever since an attack by a feral cat left Max injured, Dow posted signs around campus asking students to text, call, or bring him home if they see him hanging outside after 5 p.m. The students do just that, on top of providing periodic updates throughout the day.
In one case, a since-graduated student returned to town and stopped by Dow's business to ask how Max was. In another, a post on social media led students to believe Max had been injured, prompting a full-blown search that included not only students but the campus police.
"(People) ask 'Are you Max's mom?' And I'm like, 'How did you know that?'" said Dow, who has come to accept her new moniker as mom to the most famous cat in town.