From a stray kitten on the street to Decatur Facebook sensation, Munchkin Universe Destroyer captured the hearts of animal enthusiasts.
Decatur & Macon County Animal Shelter posted a few pictures of a grumpy-looking kitty and a name so unique that it resulted in 404 reactions, 145 shares, and 98 comments. The commenters were adamant about the fact that whoever adopted her must keep the name Munchkin Universe Destroyer. According to comments from the adopter, the name stuck.
This is just one success story from an animal shelter adoption where so much of the hype for the animal was driven by the name. This is a trend utilized by shelters that has taken social media by storm. Shelters and animal rescue organizations are implementing creative names that set the animals apart while adding to their personality.
“I don’t ever want to repeat a name because I want every cat that comes through our program, whether it’s a trap-neuter-return cat or adoptable cat, to have their own unique name, and so we don’t repeat it in the system,” Jeanette Skaluba, Board President and Founder of Yoga4Cats, said, “I like the idea of giving everybody a unique name, sort of like a Cabbage Patch Kid.”
When Skaluba thinks about naming a cat, she often draws on her personal experience or takes the cat’s background into consideration in order to pick the right name that fits the specific animal. In the past, she has drawn on her microbiology career knowledge and named cats Mitosis, Meiosis, Xylem, Phloem, and Cambium; the litter was known as the “science projects.”
“I’ve named cats after mushrooms,” Skaluba said. “Those were kittens we rescued out of somebody’s crawl space. It [was] cold, dank, and fungal down [there]. We had Portobello & Morel, our ‘fun guys’ that were adopted together.”
Oftentimes when a group of animals come into a shelter or a litter is brought in, rescue organizations will try to stick to a theme for all of them as an homage to their shared origins. Diana McPheeters, volunteer director of Piatt County Animal Shelter, has had litters themed by Mexican food, presidents, and countries just to name a few.
“The public loves it, we get some responses on Facebook and they love the names and a lot of times it goes with the look of the animal as well,” McPheeters said. “It brings people in to look around and it’s just because of interest in the name, but then if they aren’t able to bond with that particular animal, we have them here and maybe we can connect them with another animal that suits their needs.”
This strategy serves as a tool to connect potentially interested adopters with siblings. Amy Day originally found a dog her family liked from Second Chance Rescue in Effingham named Biscotti. The dog was a part of a cookie-themed litter and unfortunately was adopted before Day could claim it. The shelter ended up reaching back out because there was a sibling named Fortune available.
“She was only three months old and so we went down and looked at her and just fell in love with her at first sight,” Day said. “She’s just a playful, sweet dog. She came at just the right time.”
The name may also be a reflection of the animal’s physical characteristics such as color pattern or shape. Donna Purcell, Feline Coordinator and Secretary for Moore’s Rescue Ranch/The Kitty Crib, has named an orange cat Nacho, a white cat with black spots Moo Moo, and a black cat Pepper. The organization specializes in bringing friendly handicapped or older cats to their facility.
“People love the names we have for our cats,” Purcell said. “They go, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you named the cat that.’ It’s like, yeah, we did.”
To go along with unique names, the other indicator of adoption success tends to be the heart-warming or quirky blurbs about the animal’s demeanor and personality type. These are the descriptions that tend to move people from “Aw, it’s cute” to “I must have it right now.”
“I think the more that people can identify with having this particular animal in their home, and what to expect is the most powerful way to promote the animal,” Skaluba said. “We have one particular foster, she’s actually our yoga instructor too, she writes such meaningful profiles for her fosters that they just really hit you and they suck you in.”
Animal shelters and rescues take a lot of manpower to operate. While creative names and sweet descriptions aid in the adoption process, volunteers are essential to connecting animals with their fur-ever homes. Almost every shelter, rescue, and organization is constantly accepting new volunteers to serve in a variety of capacities.
Visit a local shelter’s website for more information on how to get involved.
