We’ve seen major universities give honorary degrees to everyone from athletes to actors and singers, and cats seem to be the next ones in line! Vermont State University paid homage to the beloved emotional support cat Dr. Max Dow by giving him an honorary degree.
Max lives near the campus with his owner Ashley Dow, and he became an important source of emotional support for students and faculty members alike in the past five years. He enjoys posing for students’ photography classes and riding in their backpacks – and they honored him in the best way possible during a recent commencement ceremony.
Vermont State University took to social media to announce that Max will be bestowed with the prestigious title of Doctor of Litter-ature, complete with all the catnip perks, scratching post privileges, and litter box responsibilities that come with it.
Max has been putting a smile on students’ faces for years, and he often struggles to see them go home for the summer—but he’s always there waiting for his people to come back once fall arrives.
“He’ll go looking and then come back, kind of disappointed, kind of sad, and he’ll stick around the house more. But it’s like he forgot they came back in the spring after one of the breaks and he really hasn’t gone back up,” Max’s owner Ashley Dow told WCAX.