Thanksgiving is more than just turkey—it’s about catching up with friends and family, sharing treasured recipes and being grateful. It’s also about making room on your plate for a little bit of everything.
Tasty treats are commonly used for inspiration when choosing a pet name, especially among our Wacky Pet Names nominees (in total, 56 pets selected had foods in their name!). In celebration of Turkey Day, we loaded our cornucopia with a sampling of clever culinary pet names for the Wacky Pet Names gourmand.
A wacky name tasting menu
To introduce our Wacky Pet Names menu, let’s begin with some light bites.
A charcuterie board is nothing without some delightful cheeses—and luckily, we have quite a number to choose from. There’s Moo Moo Mozzarella, a guinea pig, and Spicy Queso, a ferret, representing the exotic pets region of Wacky, while Bruno Mascarpone adds a canine twist to cheesy naming that’s frankly music to our ears. To balance out the platter, there’s Stella Bean Dip, a cute little bean of a Frenchie.
Of course, no charcuterie board is complete without pickles, and luckily we happened upon two handsome feline cornichons with extra crunchy names: Pickles of Purrington and Pickles McButterpants, the Muffin Slayer (that’s a wacky food names three-fer, if you’re keeping score at home).
Still hungry for more names? Good! Let’s move on to our main dishes, the real star of the wacky dining show.
Turkey is traditional on Thanksgiving, but we’re all about bucking convention here at the Wacky Pet Names news desk. So, let’s go with Optimus Prime Rib, an English bulldog with a name that’s very rare and perfectly saucy. On the side, how about some legumes with an energizing twist: Dunkin Butterbeans, a golden retriever from Boston (of course) with a wicked good monikah.
Looking for something even more unique? How about a helping of the Grey Stuff, a snake named for a mysterious dish from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (it’s delicious… allegedly). To round out the main courses, we have Green Bean Catserole, because some Thanksgiving traditions are too good to pass up on.
Stuffed? Me neither! How about some wacky desserts?
Our first sweet treat is named for a true American classic: Lil Jelly Donut, a New York City pup named after a momentous tour of big city donut shops. And to round out the menu with something a little different: How about some Schtinky Puddin?
And now, time for a nap on the sofa. Just kidding, there’s more!
A la carte selections
Thanksgiving foods aren’t just for leftovers—they can be baked into some great names! Here are some popular Thanksgiving food names from our members:
The potatoes: 313 Nationwide-insured pets are named for everyone’s favorite starch. In total, we counted four variations, including:
- Potato: 160 dogs, 90 cats, 5 rabbits, 7 guinea pigs, 2 ferrets, 3 conures and 2 chinchillas
- Mashed Potato: 3 cats and 2 dogs
- Yam: 5 cats and 5 dogs
- Sweet Potato: 13 cats, 11 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, 1 rabbit and 1 cockatiel
The meats: 209 Nationwide-insured pets are named for the potato’s best friend. We counted three different types of wacky meat name:
- Duck: 67 dogs, 25 cats, 1 rabbit, 1 parakeet and 1 bearded dragon
- Ham: 36 dogs, 25 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 1 pot belly pig, 1 cockatiel, 1 rabbit and 1 amphibian
- Turkey: 17 dogs, 22 cats, 1 lizard, 1 African gray, 1 parrot and 1 lizard (plus 1 Turkey Leg, a conure)
The pies: In total, 50 Nationwide-insured pets were named for this classic centerpiece baked good. Not including Sweetie Pies—a different category, to be sure—that’s 16 dogs, 12 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 2 cockatiels, 1 cockatoo and 1 macaw.
Other more specific variations include:
- Pumpkin Pie: 4 cats and 3 dogs
- Raspberry Pie: 2 dogs
- Cherry Pie: 2 dogs
- Blueberry Pie, Apple Pie and Pickle Pie: 1 dog each
Other tasty favorites to round out your name-plate: 96 Nationwide-insured pets are named for the additions that round out a feast:
- Squash: 24 cats (including 1 Butternut Squashington), 5 dogs and 1 reptile (Squash Mcgordy, the gecko)
- Pecan: 13 dogs, 7 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits and 1 ferret
- Cranberry: 12 cats, 9 dogs and 1 snake
- Green Bean: 9 cats, 6 dogs, 1 conure, 1 ferret, 1 parrotlet and 1 amphibian
Member name data as of September 2025.
Don’t get overcooked by veterinary bills
The holidays create many opportunities for pets to get into some wackiness. Luckily, Nationwide pet insurance offers members 24/7 telehealth access to get in touch with a veterinary professional, even on holidays when veterinary offices may be closed.*
If your pet does need to visit the vet, pet insurance can help offset the cost of your eligible veterinary expenses.
Get a quote today at petinsurance.com.
*Except where prohibited by state law. VetHelpline is not a substitute for a visit to your primary veterinarian.
