What´s in a name?!

Sometimes, when it comes to pets, quite a lot! In my line of work I obviously see a lot of animals and the name of a pet can tell me a huge amount about them and their owners, even before they walk through the door. A recent survey by Pet Plan , the insurance company, has shown that traditional names like Tabby and Spot are being replaced with more ´human´ ones such as Molly or Charlie.

The survey also uncovered that the most popular baby and pet names are exactly the same, which comes as no surprise to me. I think as people are waiting longer to settle down and have children, pets are being used as a replacement. This doesn´t always make my life easy as I then have to deal with very protective clients (being a vet is often like being a paediatrician) but they always have the animal´s best interest at heart. Charlie, Molly and Oscar are all in the top 10 but not Dave, which in my experience is an inexplicably popular name for cats! Celebrities, however, seem to enjoy reversing this trend and naming their children odd names more commonly seen in my waiting room, Apple, Bluebell and Pixie to name a few. The more traditional names are out there but they have usually been chosen by either the very young or older people. Flopsy or Thumper the rabbit and Hammy the hamster often have very young owners, whereas Tabitha, Kitty or Tom the cat is usually owned by pensioners.

The names of pets often reflect the aspiration on their owners. Oberon and Tatiana are owned by those of a literary bent, or who wish to appear as if they are. Gucci and Chanel generally don´t belong to people who can actually afford their products. Deefor and Ceefor are named by those who feel they are comedy geniuses (but sadly are not). Tyson or Satan are rarely owned by those who just want to lead a quiet life.

TV has lot to answer for for pets names as well. From the very young; Iggle Piggle arrived in my surgery the other day (I have no idea either), to the older; Morse and Lewis, we are all influenced by our favourite shows. It is also interesting to see how fashions change; Ant and Dec are probably around five years old now and Mulder and Scully are well into their teens. I just waiting for Danni and Cheryl to walk though the door! Sports are another common trend and again reflect the stars of the time. Most Gazzas are sadly no longer with us, Shearer is getting on a bit now and even Roony is a few years old.

I often don´t even need to see some animals to know what they look like, particularly breeds of dog. Trust me, Killa and Asbo are NEVER small, cute, fluffy things. Whereas Mitzy, Fluffy or Baby are nothing but (despite often being more deadly than their larger counterparts!). Snowball is rarely black (unless owned by a wag) and Smokey the cat is always grey. Some, however, catch you out. I saw Daisy the cat the other day, who turned out to be a very well endowed male! His owners didn´t realise their mistake until he was too old to change it but they protect his pride by calling him ´Mr Daisy´ to their friends!

So, take care when naming a new pet, it can often reveal more about you than you might like! However, I will give you one piece of advice, never, ever name anything Lucky, you are only asking for trouble!