Congratulations on getting your new pet. You have made the right choice! Now your family has a new best friend. So now that your new pet is home, it’s time for you and your family to have the big conversation about what to name your pet. Choosing the right name for your pet is as important as choosing the right food for them.

Do you have an idea of where to get inspiration for your pet’s name? Some pet parents decide to go with baby names or read books to get ideas.

Unique and great pet names are hard to come by. When naming your pet, the common and boring routine is out of fashion. Bella, Buddy and Charlie are too common. John, Mark and Jimmy are too human and kind of weird. 

Bacon, Biscuit and Cutie Honey are great but a little funny. You may end up calling Cutie Honey ‘Honey’ which may be so confusing if you have a spouse you call them the same. However, it’s advisable to choose a name that you truly love.

 If you are looking for a creative, clever and uncommon pet name, you have come to the right place. Read on to make sure you have the best name for your dog or cat.

Choose a Name Ending with a Vowel

Pet names ending with vowels are great since they change the tone when calling your pet. Dogs are a good example of pets who distinguish frequency ranges more than we do. With a pet name with a vowel at the end, it’s easy to get your pet’s attention. Examples of a few pet names with a vowel sound at the end are Josie, Ziggy, Taco and Buddy.

Stick With a Name with two Syllables

When you choose long names for your pet, you may end up shortening them. So what’s the sweet spot? A two-syllable pet name is the best way to go. If you are comfortable with repeating your pet’s name severally, then that’s the perfect name for them.

I have come across a person calling their pet Puppuccino, which is cute, but you can’t call it out more than five times without getting exhausted.

Don’t Use Offensive Names

Imagine naming your pet Poophead or Fartface? How will it sound when calling them? Of course, it would sound a bit absurd. It’s not a good idea to name your pet an offensive or embarrassing name.

Don’t Pick a Name That can Be Confused With a Command

When naming your pet, you should consider the commands you give your pet frequently. Unless you want headaches and confusion, avoid names that sound too similar to commands that you frequently use. For example, it would be confusing to teach a pet named Fletch to Fetch.

Pet names like ‘Bo’ can be confused with ‘No’ and ‘Ray’ can be confused with ‘stay.’ Any pet trainer will not want to confuse the pet while giving them commands.

Don’t Choose a Name Similar to Your Other Pets

If you have other pets, don’t use the same name as your other pets. Also, the names shouldn’t sound similar. For example, your pets may feel confused when you use names like Spot and Scott.

Use Your Pets Personality

Every pet has a personality. Beyond looks, you can name your pet using their personality. If your pet reminds you of a person, object or character trait, you could use them to suggest a good name for them. For example, you can name your pet Chewy if they love to chew everything.

Select a Name and Stick With It

When adopting a new dog from the shelter, they already have a name. You may want to change, but there are limits. Once you decide on the name, don’t waffle.

Within the first few days, you should have a name for your pet. One or two changes will not do any harm, as long as your pet does not know their name. You should also stay consistent with the name you choose.

We have so many dog and cat names out there. Make sure to take your time to narrow down your choices.

What to Do When Naming a Pet as a Family

Naming your pet isn’t a one-person job; everyone in the family must chip in. This is the time that everyone in the family gets to interact with the new pet and get to air their opinions.

However, you need to set the rules. To be fair, everyone in the family must vote for their name or draw one out of a fishbowl.

After selecting the pet name, test it on the pet. Practice calling your dog or cat until they get used to it. Above all, make sure to have fun during the process. After choosing your pet’s name, you will be surprised that the name will click into place just as your new pet will in your new life.

Most Popular Cat Names in Australia

• Luna
• Kitty
• Mia
• Lucy
• Milo
• George
• Charlie
• Bella
• Oscar
• Leo
• Molly
• Simba
• Lily
• Coco
• Max
• Cleo 
• Tiger
• Jasper
• Daisy
• Missy

Above are the top common cat names used by many cat owners. By the look of the names, human-inspired names are still a favourite method of naming cats. The main reason behind this is the increased humanisation of our beloved furry friends.

Most Popular Female Cat Names 

• Luna
• Bella
• Coco
• Molly
• Lily
• Mia
• Lucy
• Cleo
• Daisy
• Missy
• Millie
• Willow
• Lola
• Nala
• Kitty
• Poppy
• Lulu
• Tilly
• Lilly
• Mist

Most Popular Male Cat Names

• Charlie
• Oscar
• Leo
• Max
• Simba
• Felix
• Harry
• Tiger
• Loki
• George
• Toby
• Jack
• Henry
• Oliver
• Monty
• Alfie
• Milo
• Jasper
• Archie
• Ollie

10 Top Dog Names for Males 

• Charlie
• Max
• Buddy
• Oscar
• Milo
• Archie
• Ollie
• Toby
• Jack
• Teddy

 10 Top Dog Names for Females

• Bella
• Molly
• Coco
• Ruby
• Lucy
• Bailey
• Daisy
• Rosie
• Lola
• Frankie

We hope this article has given you great ideas on how to name your pet. In case you have more questions, make sure to download our PetsForever App on Playstore and Appstore where our team of vets, animal trainers, veterinary behaviourists, alternative healing providers and animal communicators will guide you to choosing the best name for your pet.

Information sources:

45 Australian Dog Names: Accessed online April 2020  https://www.thesprucepets.com/australian-names-for-dogs-4845648 

Popular Cat Names. Accessed online April 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_cat_names

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