Cat Who Loves Library Gets Banned For His Own Good
Max isn't happy about the new no-Max policy.
By Stephen Messenger
Max the cat loves nothing more than wandering around and making new friends, finding his way into the hearts of most everyone he meets. But the adventurous kitty soon started charming his way into more than that.
And now the world is on alert.
The sweet ginger Max lives with Connie Lipton and her husband, directly across the street from Macalester College in Minnesota. After adopting him from a shelter last year, his family thought it would be OK to let him explore the outdoors during the day.
Naturally, he found the college campus to be a warm and welcoming place. At first, anyway.
"He was just socializing with the students on the grounds," Lipton told The Dodo. "He would go over there every day and spend quite a bit of time. It's hard to know exactly. He usually would go out for a few hours at a time and then come home only to want to go back out again soon after."
A post shared by Max the Cat and Gracie (@cool_cat_max_and_gracie)
As much as Max enjoyed the visits, so too did the folks at Macalester. They couldn't get enough of him.
"He's in his element when he's with them," Lipton said. "And I think that's because many of the students have left their pets behind to come to college, and miss them, Max fills a pet void in some ways. He seems to make them happy."
Spending time with the students on the quad in between classes was pleasant enough — but apparently Max longed for even more.
Before long, Max began invading buildings at the college, going as far as interrupting class in pursuit of pets.
Student housing was no exception. Study time was often interrupted by the appearance of Max.
While few people, if any, had a real problem with Max, it was decided for his own benefit that those regular visits — especially to the college library — be curtailed. Not only were staffers worried that Max might wind up trapped inside over the long winter break, a new construction project underway nearby poses some obvious risks to the cat as well.
That's when someone decided to put up a sign on the library door alerting students that Max had been grounded.
Before long, word of the no-Max policy went viral — earning plenty of sympathy, and even fan art, from admirers.
Most people, it seems, were siding with Max on this one.
Despite the public outcry, Max's family has decided that he is now an indoor cat.
Though it's apparently taking him some getting used to.
"Max is very unhappy about not being able to roam and having to be grounded in the house," Lipton said. "He cries to go out and paces around the house. We are trying to give him some new 'jobs' by clicker-training him, and I'm hoping to get him trained to leash-walking. He's very handsome in his red harness."
If all goes according to plan, Max might be back on campus sooner rather than later. Only this time, on a leash.
Max getting ready to train to walk...I think he's ready 😻
"I plan on taking him over to socialize on campus and to the language houses to visit," Lipton said. "I'm also thinking about having him trained to be a therapy cat where he can go to be with groups of young adults."
It's hard to think of a better idea for a cat whose sweet personality has already charmed the world.