Two New York pets nominated in Nationwide competition for their wacky names

CENTRAL NEW YORK (WSYR-TV) — A cat from Corning, New York, and a bunny from Norwich, New York, have recently been announced as finalists in Nationwide’s “Wacky Pet Names” contest for their unique names.

Skullcrusher — a mixed domestic shorthair cat from Corning– and ‘Thor Odinbun, God of Bunder’ — a blonde Holland Lop bunny from Norwich — are among the “Wacky Pet Names” finalists announced Tuesday, April 9.

Each year, Nationwide’s pet insurance team celebrates some of the most clever and craziest names among the pet insurance leader’s recently enrolled pets .

Beyond the traditional cat and dog categories, this year’s Nationwide exotic pets category includes nominees such as macaw, guinea pig, snake, tortoise, mini pig, tegu lizard, ferrets, and rabbits.

Skullcrusher is quite the name, which pet parent and Nationwide member, Jamie N., says came about from his shelter name.

“His shelter name was Skully, which was cute … but my partner wanted to brainstorm some alternate options. Jokingly, the first thing he said was, ‘Skullcrusher, crusher of skulls!’ and that kind of just stuck. No other names really compared!”

Although Skullcrusher sounds like a name for an aggressive and mean cat, Jamie soon discovered that Skullcrusher was more ‘heart-melter’ than anything else.

“Unfortunately, he had been in the shelter for over a year, and they’d described him as ‘aloof and unfriendly,’” Jamie said. “When we got him home, we found that he was actually very ‘loof and friendly,’ as my partner likes to say. He’s always beside one of us, purring and showing his belly for pets. He’s the sweetest cat who has never shown an ounce of aggression—so the name is pretty ironic.”

Jamie N. has been a Nationwide member since 2023 and told Nationwide she signed up for their pet insurance because she wanted the peace of mind it offers.

“We hope that our pets stay healthy, but if something happens, we need all our focus on helping them get better—not worrying about the vet bills.”

Pet parent Silmi planned to name her bunny Thor Odinbun God of Bunder before she even got him.

“My best friend and I came across a list of over 1,000 dog names developed by Edward of Norwich, the 2nd Duke of York in the 15th century. Inspired by this, we decided to create our own list of pet names not just limited to dogs—we’re almost at 600!” said Silmi.

After drafting her list of pet names, Silmi couldn’t stop dreaming of a little blond Holland Lop bunny that she could name Thor, and soon enough, her dream came true.

“As if I somehow manifested it, a blonde Holland Lop bunny was being re-homed. As soon as I held this tiny blonde bun in my arms, I knew he was my Thor Odinbun, God of Bunder.”

Silmi wanted to get pet protection against the unexpected, even though Thor has proved to be a resilient little bunny. So she went with the Mjölnir of pet protection: Nationwide pet insurance.

“I never want to hesitate with being able to save the life of any of my pets. I know that investing in Nationwide pet insurance is an investment in their future and wellbeing. The peace of mind I receive knowing that there is financial support in place for potential emergencies is unmatched.”

You can vote for Skullcrusher and Thor Odinbun now through Friday, April 13 with the top cat, dog and exotic pet names being announced on Wednesday, April 17.

Vote for Skullcrusher here.

Vote for Thor Odinbun God of Bunder here.

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