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Choosing a pet name is fun and crucial! Hopefully this name will be one that surrounds your household for many years and in your heart forever. So, how do we choose the right name for our companion? What suits our pet and what suits us? Do we go with something unique or traditional, a Royal title or a short quip? I will share my experience in choosing three pet names thus far.
Back in 2007, my first born was named after my favorite Desperate Housewives character, Gabrielle Solis. This was the perfect name for her simply because the character is a beautiful, well-kept woman who wanted for nothing, i.e. my new puppy, Gabby. Fast forward ten years later and Gabby was still the perfect fit for this Princess who turned into a big, beautiful, bouncy and playful pup.
For my second child, I knew I needed to change her name. She was a two-year old Pointer/Hound mix with a rough past. She had been abused and neglected and at that time her name was Alexi.
When animals experience trauma such as this it is always recommended to change their name so they can hopefully, somewhat, recover from their abuse without being called the same name their abuser called them. So, for her, I needed a sweet name for this southern belle with a gentle disposition. I searched online for days for names when I happened upon Mazie. I thought this was just about the cutest name you could get and chose this as a good fit her.
Our lovely cat came to us with the name Diamond. She had been well-cared for in a long-term shelter for nearly five years, but we were pretty sure she did not know her name. So, we changed it! In keeping with the jewel theme and her stunning green eyes, we named her Emerald and Emmie for short. Emmie soon evolved into having her own title of Lil' Emmie, solely because of her big personality and her big belly to be honest...
For our family a good fit is clearly any name ending with the pronunciation of “ie”. We enjoy girly names for our babies, but what works for you? Keep in mind, your pet's name may chose them as well. If Stinky, Fat Tony or Loco fits - it fits! Ruffugees' currently has a set of three kittens whose names definitely chose them - more on this in the future!
An online search reveals some of the top pet names[i]:
BOY GIRL
1. Bailey 1. Bella
2. Max 2. Lucy
3. Charlie 3. Molly
4. Buddy 4. Daisy
5. Rocky 5. Maggie
6. Jake 6. Sophie
7. Jack 7. Sadie
8. Toby 8. Chloe
9. Cody 9. Bailey
10. Buster 10. Lola
So, what is in a name? What will you name your next pet? What is the pet’s name that will never leave you? Share your thoughts and stories!
See you on the wild side,
Danielle
[i] Top 100 Most Popular Male and Female Dog Names; http://dogtime.com/top-100-dog-names