Take a "paws" and indulge in this delightful good news!

As the countdown began until the commencement, Vermont State University announced a very special honorary degree recipient: Max the Cat.

Max the Cat, excuse me, Dr. Max the Cat received an honorary degree of "doctor of litter-ature."

The college recognized Max by his formal name, Max Dow, not for his mousing or napping skills but for his exceptional friendliness.

The Vermont State University Facebook post stated that Max "lives with his wonderful owners on Seminary Street and loves socializing with friends outside Leavenworth."

While his adventures may have slowed, Max exemplifies the #CastletonWay and we are honored to have him as a member of VTSU's #firstclass.

'With a resounding purr of approval from the faculty, the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Cat-leges has bestowed upon Max Dow 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.'

Congratulations Dr. Max Dow!

Once a feral kitten from a nearby town, Max moved to the very street that leads to the campus's main entrance. About five years ago, he moved into his nearby home with his owner, Ashley Dow, and has become a familiar presence on campus.

His owner told USA TODAY that Max started exploring his neighborhood when he was around a year old. One day, he went missing, prompting his family to search for him. They eventually found him on campus, and soon after, students began sharing stories about their encounters with him.

They just love him. I get students giving me welfare checks on him throughout the day.

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He's been on the dean's desk, he made himself at home on the dean's desk. 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.

She explained that Max has been a regular around campus, bringing smiles to students' faces whenever they spot him. They love to scoop him up for selfies, and he's even known to join tours with prospective students who gather at a building opposite his family's home.

Max even tries to visit the campus during breaks, hoping to see his student pals, but he ends up disappointed when he finds nobody around.

There was this one time he got a bit confused and stopped showing up when classes started again. This got the students worried, thinking he'd vanished! So, they put together a sweet little memorial for him 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. We brought him up a couple of times and ... told him don't forget the people up there because they miss you.

The students affectionately call Dow "Max's mom," and sometimes graduates who return to town stop by to see how Max is doing.

Unfortunately, Max won't be joining the graduation festivities. Instead, his honorary degree will be presented to his "mom" at a later date.

Everyone loves it except people who don't get it because they haven't met Max.

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I'm so super happy he makes everyone so happy, he's a great cat and it's awesome. (The students) were talking about how during finals they saw him and he made them less stressed and I get it ... I'm glad it makes people happy and I'm glad to share.

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