Dear Max mavens,

A very happy October to you. First and foremost, thank you to all who made this an especially delicious October for Max (and me) by attending Catoberfest. It was a feast of joy to meet you – and that goes double for Maxwell.

But, if the miles and other matters made it impossible for you to join us on 10/6, no worries: you’re providing a continual feast for Max in the form of fun.

Our big boy has had a happy, high-energy month – with the bonus miracle of playing nice with his roomies.

I was astonished to discover recently that Max is eleven years old. This would make perfect sense if cat years equaled human years; Max resembles a 5th-grade boy in many ways. But, as best veterinarians and behaviorists can estimate, an 11-year-old cat is roughly equivalent to a 60-year-old human.

Max? Sixty? Don’t get me wrong, sixty is not old by any definition…but, still…Max? A member of the AARP? Eligible for a discount on the early bird special at Denny’s? Mad Max?

Max was only six – the equivalent of forty – when he came to us, and he’s remained pinned at six in my mind. Based on the fact that Max has spent the past five years with us, I can only draw one conclusion. Ponce de León was looking in the wrong place when he sought the legendary Fountain of Youth in Florida.

You heard it here first: the Fountain of Youth is located at Tabby’s Place, in the great non-metropolis of Ringoes, NJ. We think it’s somewhere between Adoption Rooms #1 and #2, but scientists are still pinpointing that.

How else are we to explain Max’s playfulness, the bounce in his long-legged step, and his ever-sweeter relations with his roomies? This is not the behavior of an aging patriarch. This is undoubtedly an ageless Max.

Max’s health supports my supposition, which is to say it’s been stable and excellent again this month. In fact, our boy’s weight is so steady that we’re discontinuing his frequent rechecks on that front.

One last possibility: perhaps Max’s personal Fountain of Youth is you? Who – of any species – wouldn’t be nudged to good health and eternal zest with such faithful and adoring sponsors?

Whatever the cause for Max’s flourishing, I thank you for being such a beautiful and generous part of it. Have a beautiful October!