There are times when you come across a dog or cat that has been given a really odd name, and wonder what the story behind the name was about. VPI Pet Insurance has an interest in wacky pet names. Every year, they put together a list of them. At least a few of these names should make you laugh!
VPI is a company that sells pet insurance. They want to make sure that pet owners are able to afford to give their dogs, cats, and other pets, the health care that they require. VPI is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance.
The company enjoys having some fun. Every year, they have a Hambone Award. Insured pets who have done something that resulted in a really odd pet insurance claim, (and survived the experience), can be nominated for it. Now, those are some incredibly interesting stories!
VPI also puts together a couple of annual lists of pet names. There is the list of the top, or most popular, pet names, for a given year. The list is split into three parts: names of dogs, names of cats, and names of birds and exotic pets.
They also create a list of wacky pet names every year. This list is split into two parts: wacky names of dogs, and wacky names of cats. Some of the names that made the 2012 list will make you laugh!
This year, each list includes a total of 50 names. The top ten have links that will take you to more information about the pet and the story behind the name. I’ll leave you to read the entire list on the VPI website, and point out just a few that I found to be especially amusing.
At the top of the list for dogs was the name Chew Barka. He is a hypoallergenic poodle that is owned by a family of Star Wars fans. Owner Michele Manzellis explains:
The first night we had him all he seemed to do is chew and bark, and being the Star Wars fans that we are, Chew Barka just seemed to fit perfectly.
Other wacky names for dogs seem to have been inspired by food. Names include: Vienna Sausage, Vito Meatball, Nacho Cheese, Cheeto Bear, Oreo-Dunkin, and Oreo Pudding.
At the top of the list for cats was Pico de Gato. The owner’s first cat was named Mu, which is a Greek symbol used in science as “micro”. Their second cat was even smaller than the first, so they chose the name Pico, (which is smaller than micro). Gato means cat in Spanish, and the couple loved Mexican food. Thus, the cat was named Pico de Gato.
Other wacky names for cats that made the list include: Beefra, Slim Pickens, My Girl Catastrophe, Fergus McGillicuddy, Friar McFergus, Sugar Britches, and Yum-Yum.
Image by Marc Lagneau on Flickr