Happy 2011, Max maniacs! I hope your holidays were fantastic.

The worst class I ever took was called Deviance. I expected it to be about deviant people like Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Bernie Madoff. Instead, the class covered sociological theories behind deviance. The one thing that I did learn, however, is that “deviance” is anything that is outside what is considered normal. So, using this definition, our Max is definitely a deviant.

Just don’t expect him to end up in prison anytime soon. In fact, our favorite deviant may be defined as one only for a short time longer. See, Max has made great strides toward normalcy.

First, Max no longer stays in a large crate overnight. His crate has been removed from Adoption Room 2 and replaced with a chair. Normally, Trey and Cypress, Adoption Room 2’s resident love birds, are napping together on the new furniture, while Max snoozes on the settee.

Secondly, Max no longer fires a warning meow when he has had enough love. Instead, he simply gets up and walks away, like both of my “normal” cats have always done. He is also not as chatty as he was when first we met, which is somewhat sad, but his loud and appreciative purr more than makes up for it.

There are some things that let me know he is still the same old Max, however. He is still very affectionate and actively seeks my love. Although the epic Battle Royales are, fortunately, a thing of the past, Max still gets insanely jealous if I pay attention to Trey. For example, on my last visit to Max, I started to pet Trey after Max hopped down for a drink. As Trey enjoyed my attention, I looked to see Max giving me the stink eye. The more things change…

Overall, Max is doing wonderfully — so wonderfully that I’ve heard whispers of the possibility of big changes to Adoption Room 2. Because nothing is definitive, I will hold off discussing it until I know something more. Know, though, that life is good in Maxland. This is not possible without your generous support.

On behalf of Max, I thank you and look forward to sharing more good news next month. Until then, stay warm.