most unusual pet names for cats

Most Popular, Most Unusual Pet Names for 2010



In honor of the wildly popular ‘Twilight’ vampire-themed books and movies, Bella was the most chosen name for dogs and the second favorite for kitties in 2010.

According to Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), other popular names for dogs during the year were Bailey, Max, Lecy, Molly, Buddy, Maggie, Daisy, Charlie and Sophie.

Favorite cat names included Max, Chloe, Oliver, Lucky and Charlie.

Older style pet names like Fido, Tiger and Tigger were used much less frequently than in years past.

Top 10 weirdest names for dogs and cats in 2010:

Dog Names

Cat Names

Pickle Von Corndog
Purr Diem
Lord Chubby Pruneface
Bing Clawsby
Badonkadonk
Cleocatra
Ninjastar Dangerrock
Admiral Pancake
Molly Mcboozehound
Optimus Pants
Dog Vadar
Chairman Meow
Flospy Squeakerton
Boo Manchu
Bettie Poops
Watts in a Name
Geez Louise
Chenoa Azure Marshmellow-Puff
Barnaby Bones
Senor Nachos

Click here for adorable photos of several of these strangely named pets.

… and here for VPI’s Top 50 Wackiest Pet Names for 2010.

Sources:

dvm360 January 5, 2011
dvm360 June 15, 2010


Dr. Becker's Comments:

Deciding what to call a new pet is a fun project for the whole family.

And while it’s certainly not rocket science to come up with a fitting name for a new furry or feathered addition to the family, it doesn’t hurt to give the subject some careful consideration.

Your new companion will be with you for a lifetime, so you should choose a name that will still be suitable for your pet and appealing to your ears 12 or 20 years from now.

5 Tips for Naming a New Pet

Since one of the first things you’ll want to do with a new canine family member is teach him basic commands like ‘No,’ ‘Sit,’ ‘Stay,’ and ‘Down,’ it’s a good idea to think twice about names that sound too much like those words. For example, ‘Beau’ can sound too much like ‘No’ to a puppy trying to learn good manners.
If you can’t decide on a name right away, observe your new pet for a few hours or days and see if a behavior she repeats frequently makes sense as a name. Maybe your new kitten seems to move like ‘Lightning’ through the house. Or perhaps your rescued parrot shrieks like the ‘Siren’ on a fire truck. (For your sake, I hope not!)
Narrow your list of possible names to a handful and try each one out on your pet using an enthusiastic tone. Your dog may react right away to one particular name when you say it, and you’ll have your answer. Better yet, your pet actually picked his own name!
It’s probably not a great idea to choose a name that may put people off who are unfamiliar with your pet. Your kitten may leave the occasional ‘Stinkbomb’ in her litter box, but is that really something you want to brand her with for life? Your pooch may be quite the guard dog around the house, but are you sure you want to introduce him to the new groomer as ‘Mangler?’
As amusing as some of the weird pet names above are, take care to select a name for your companion that doesn’t sound completely ridiculous when you call to her at the dog park or take her in for her first vet appointment and introduce her to the doctor as ‘Sir Poopy, Prince of Puppy Pads.’
Renaming a Dog

Despite what you might have been led to believe, it’s perfectly okay to rename a dog who is new to your family.

In fact, in many cases it’s the best thing you can do. If your new adopted or rescued companion was abandoned or removed from a bad situation, she may associate her name with punishment or abuse.

Renaming a dog from a less than ideal background will help her separate you and her new life from those who neglected or hurt her. Choose a name that doesn’t sound similar to the one she’s used to.

If you are rescuing a pet without “baggage” (or known abuse) but don’t like his name, consider picking something close, but not identical, to what he’s used to. Rosco, my Boston Terrier, was Rocco, with his former owner. An easy switch.

Teach your pet her new name by using it with positive experiences only, like walks, playtime, praise, training treats and plenty of love and affection.

Use the new name consistently and positively and within a short time your pup will respond to it as though it’s the only name she’s ever known.

If You Need Help Naming Your Pet

There are lots of idea generators available to help you name a new pet. Here are just a few:

Bowwow Meow Pet-Names with Personality
Pet Names Place
LowchensAustralia.com
PetNet
Cat and Dog Names