During my rescue years in New York and Connecticut you would often find interesting pet names coming out of the shelter system. Some days you knew exactly what ethnic background the counter person had. Not saying anything wrong with the biggest melting pot in the world or the people that live in it, but when you end up with a bunch of cats named Tony, or Patrick, you might figure that the person taking in the unwanted pet was Italian or Irish. The most interesting name that came on paperwork from Animal Care and Control in NYC was Teleroy!

Since doing pet sitting and dog walking I’ve seen some other great names!

My favorite was Punch – for a fabulous Wheaton Terrier. I asked the owner why Punch? She said she always wanted a “dog named Punch”! He is one of the best personalities ever has a very big heart and would never hurt a fly, but the name suits him.
One of my other favorites is people who name red cats and dogs!
I’ve seen Blaze, Flame, Fire-Hydrant (a dog obviously), Spark, Embers, and a whole host of others that are equally creative.
I personally have always waited to name my animals to see what their personality holds. I have Ferris who is now Big Boy. He’s an 18-pound Siamese mix. Prudence, my exotic shorthair came with the name Penny. It did not suit her, but it took me about a month to figure out a proper name for her, so she went by kitten. Aulf, my Brussels Griffon was Jake – not exotic enough! Aulf means little wolf in German. Verdell came with his name, no changing it as he responded well to it. If you don’t know the breed the dog in “As Good as it Gets” the movie that won Helen Hunt an Academy Award was named Verdell and a Brussels Griffon like mine… There are many Brussels out there saddled with this exact name!

My special needs kitty Special Ed was originally Woody or Popeye. Not very glamorous. His name ended up being Special Ed, or Eddie only because be responded to it well. I have my own orange cat named Flame!

What you name your pet says a lot about you. Take a little time and think about what is the best name for your furry friend!