.Max.
Keeper of the Books
history
Max was a surprise 2004 Christmas present. When he first met my sister, who picked him out, (and then me a few weeks later) he was extremely timid and jumpy (a common characteristic among pound animals, unfortunately). Rather quickly, however, he and I became acclimated to each other. When he was younger (he was about 2 months old when he was given to me) he used to like to sleep beneath my chin -- he can't fit there now!
breeding
Max is a silver tabby with black stripes and spots (click on the image for a larger view). His fur is very soft and silky, unlike any other cat fur that I have ever felt, and his face can be extremely expressive. The pound from where he was rescued told my sister that Max may be part Lynx; while his coloring and markings may be associated with this breed type, I have no documentation which would definitively state his breed. I am inclined to think he his simply an American Short-Hair.
likes & dislikes
Likes: fetching toy mice, drinking from the faucet, soft blankets, window views, being brushed, initiating "chase" games.
Dislikes: car rides, nail-trimming, being bothered while napping.
aliases
Max has a number of nicknames: Dozer, Tucker, Goober, JoJo, Puppy, Smax, Matches.
talents
I discovered, quite by accident, that Max knows how to fetch. Before his current obsession with small furry toy mice, he played with very soft small Nerf-like cat toy balls. One day I was in the living room of my previous apartment and threw the ball down the hallway, mostly out of curiosity and not expecting much of a reaction. Max promptly ran after the ball and, to my amazement, took it in his mouth and carried it back to me. I repeated the toss, and again he retrieved it. Most mornings, Max would bring the ball and place it beside my bed for me to throw and simultaneously wake me. Now, he does the same with his toy furry mice (see the picture to the left, which shows Max in the midst of a retrieval; click on the image for a larger view).
Max also likes to drink from the bathroom faucet, and will usually not let me leave the room before allowing him a drink. When Max is in a playful mood he will hook his tail and scamper sideways (which I call his SpiderMan move); if I ignore him, he will come to me and "tag" me with his paws, either on my shins or ankles if standing, or on my back/shoulders if I am sitting, to get me to play with him.
Max is very vocal; in fact, he has different sounds for various wants and needs. For example, when he wants me to play, he emits a sound which is something like a hybrid of a purr and a meow. He also has various sounds for needing more food in his bowl, or for me to find a lost or inaccessable toy (usually under the couch or a baseboard), etc.
He also has a pretty good memory; he usually goes back to a place where he last remembers seeing a specific toy (again, usually under the couch or baseboard). Most times, though, I had already fished the toy out from its stuck place and given it back to him, but for some reason he only remembers that the toy was in a place that he couldn't reach, not that I had already gotten it for him (Max wanted me to take this part out, since he feels it may give an impression of a faulty memory, however for accuracy I talked him into leaving it in).
Max also allows me to grab his tail and hold him back while he tries to get away. I have no idea if he likes this ritual, but he hasn't gouged out my eyes yet so I'm assuming he's okay with it.
on the job
As seen in the photo to the left, even as a kitten Max was quite inquisitive. So, being the quirky and intelligent cat he is, I recruited Max to be the website Mascot. The job doesn't entail much except posing for various website pictures, but his responsibilities will grow as he matures.
Here, Max is looking rather self-important.
In this photo, Max is taking inventory:
"Now where did I put that darned book?!"
Max has been begging for me to conduct an interview with him for the site, but I feel he is too young and I wouldn't want his ego to inflate before its time (he also wants his own e-mail address, whichI flatly refused). He then asked to give a statement and, as a compromise, I agreed:
Thank you all for viewing my page (personally, I think my picture should adorn each and every site page, since I am the official mascot, but that's just my opinion). If you'd like to leave me a virtual treat, you can do so on my Catster page:
And for any other cats out there that may be reading, go to this page for Rules For Cats To Live By 
; I personally follow every one of these rules. Thanks for visiting!
Purrs,
Max
Max is a silver tabby with black stripes and spots (click on the image for a larger view). His fur is very soft and silky, unlike any other cat fur that I have ever felt, and his face can be extremely expressive. The pound from where he was rescued told my sister that Max may be part Lynx; while his coloring and markings may be associated with this breed type, I have no documentation which would definitively state his breed. I am inclined to think he his simply an American Short-Hair.
I discovered, quite by accident, that Max knows how to fetch. Before his current obsession with small furry toy mice, he played with very soft small Nerf-like cat toy balls. One day I was in the living room of my previous apartment and threw the ball down the hallway, mostly out of curiosity and not expecting much of a reaction. Max promptly ran after the ball and, to my amazement, took it in his mouth and carried it back to me. I repeated the toss, and again he retrieved it. Most mornings, Max would bring the ball and place it beside my bed for me to throw and simultaneously wake me. Now, he does the same with his toy furry mice (see the picture to the left, which shows Max in the midst of a retrieval; click on the image for a larger view). 
Max also likes to drink from the bathroom faucet, and will usually not let me leave the room before allowing him a drink. When Max is in a playful mood he will hook his tail and scamper sideways (which I call his SpiderMan move); if I ignore him, he will come to me and "tag" me with his paws, either on my shins or ankles if standing, or on my back/shoulders if I am sitting, to get me to play with him.
As seen in the photo to the left, even as a kitten Max was quite inquisitive. So, being the quirky and intelligent cat he is, I recruited Max to be the website Mascot. The job doesn't entail much except posing for various website pictures, but his responsibilities will grow as he matures.
In this photo, Max is taking inventory: "Now where did I put that darned book?!"
Thank you all for viewing my page (personally, I think my picture should adorn each and every site page, since I am the official mascot, but that's just my opinion). If you'd like to leave me a virtual treat, you can do so on my Catster page:
