"Katniss" Is Among Top Pet Names That Are "Catching Fire" This Year

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Banfield Pet Hospital^®, the world's largest veterinary practice, and its internal research team, Banfield Applied Research & Knowledge (BARK), released today the top pet names of 2013, pulled from its database of nearly 2.5 million pets nationwide. As the records revealed, pet owners looked high and low to find inspiration for their pets' names in 2013, including some of the year's hottest films, celebrity news and pop culture, while other pet names seemed to have an origin uniquely all their own.  

Pet Owners Think inside the Box Office
As the newest film release in the popular series, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," broke box office records over the Thanksgiving weekend, the film was also racking up points with pet owners. Banfield Pet Hospital observed five times as many cats named after the film's heroine, "Katniss" over 2012. Others chose to jazz things up a bit, naming their pets after the hit remake of the twenties classic, "The Great Gatsby." Banfield saw twice as many dogs and cats named "Gatsby" in 2013 versus 2012, including nifty adaptations such as "The Great Fatsby." "The Twilight Saga" certainly left its lasting impression on pet owners with "Bella" holding its rank as the most popular name for dogs, and second most popular for cats in 2013.

What's Trending in "Pup" Culture?
No doubt pet owners were keeping an eye on the tabloids this year, as Banfield Pet Hospital saw twice as many dogs named "North" or "North West" compared to 2012, after Kim Karsdashian and Kayne West welcomed 2013's celebrity baby of the year. Other pop culture personalities who made a big bang in the pet world in 2013 include "Sheldon," "Penny" and "Leonard" from CBS's award-winning TV series, "The Big Bang Theory."

Strangest Pet Names of 2013
While the origin of some pet names is easy to identify, there are others that never cease to amaze, securing their spot on Banfield's list of the strangest pet names of 2013. The following is a list of the strangest pet names to have pranced into a Banfield Pet Hospital in 2013.

"We really enjoy seeing how creative our clients can be when it comes to naming their pets," said Elizabeth Lund, DVM, MPH, PhD, Banfield senior director of research and head of the BARK team. "Pet owners share such a strong, emotional bond with their pets, so it's fitting they would give their four-legged family member a name that holds personal significance and reflects their interests." 

Top 10 Pet Names of 2013
As uniquely inspired as the peculiar and pup culture pet names may be, only "Bella" was trendy enough to top the 10 list, ranking high for both dogs and cats. In fact, Banfield Pet Hospital's top 10 pet names of 2013 are considerably tamer than those influenced by the year's biggest blockbusters and certainly less wild than those on the strangest list. The following is a list of the top 10 pet names of 2013 based on 2.5 million Banfield Pet Hospital clients.

For more information about Banfield Pet Hospital, visit www.Banfield.com. 

About Banfield Pet Hospital^®
Founded in Portland, Ore., in 1955, Banfield is the largest general veterinary practice in the world. In 2007, Banfield joined the Mars, Inc. family of businesses, and today it is more than 830 hospitals strong in neighborhoods across the United States. More than 2,600 veterinarians at Banfield are committed to giving pets the highest quality of veterinary care. Banfield hospitals offer a full range of comprehensive medical services, computerized medical records, preventive care plans for pets and extended operating hours. Banfield Pet Hospital helps extend the lives of millions of pets each year through Optimum Wellness Plans^®. For journalists seeking more information, visit banfield.com or contact the Media Hotline at 888-355-0595.

SOURCE Banfield Pet Hospital