When it came time to name her uniquely rambunctious kitten, everything connected for Marina F., Prison Mike’s cat mom. “The Office is obviously the best show,” she says, “Prison Mike is a character of Michael Scott’s during the series, and my cat was born as a crazy boy … one who maybe needs a cage—or a cell—so this name fit him well.”
For a feline with a tough guy name, Marina says he’s a big softy: “It's fun to come home and—it's like the only time he's super affectionate—he'll meow at me until I sit down and give him hugs and cuddles. Then, he goes off and plays.”
That said, he still likes to keep up his bad boy image: “His personality is pretty consistent, where it's like he wants people around—but he also doesn't want you in his space. It's just ironic. So, he'll meow at you, you start petting him and then he's just bat-bat-bat. He's just a wild animal,” she laughs.
Marina sat down with us to talk about the Wacky Pet Names campaign, other favorite pet names and more.
What was it like being a Wacky Pet Name nominee?
Sometimes, a great pet name will do the heavy lifting for you. After Prison Mike’s nomination, Marina was surprised by the amount of press he got. She remembers, “I got an overwhelming amount of people who saw the local news post or heard about it on the radio … they were like, ‘Wait, that's your cat?’ Then they were voting!’”
She continues, “I even went through all the comments that were on one of the local news posts, and it was so fun to just see even all the people I didn't know who were like, ‘This is the best name, they have to win!’ I'd just say thank you for that, because it was just so fun to see how many people thought he was so cute and loved his name—and that makes me feel just like a proud cat mom.”
Did you have another favorite Wacky Pet Name nominee?
“Inigo Meowtoya!” Marina says. “I was like, ‘Oh, that one might be a tough one for me to beat.’ Moira Rose McMurderpants Queen of Hearts and Business Cat, those were also fun. But I was nervous about Inigo Meowtoya one because that is cute.”
Asked why she felt the heat from Inigo, she continues, “Well, again, it's a classic film where it's like, okay, people will love that name plus the cat name.”
How did you choose a pet name for your cat?
Marina remembers it wasn’t easy coming up with a great name for her recently adopted kitten. In fact, she needed a little outside inspiration to find the purr-fect fit for her rambunctious new friend.
“At first, I was thinking of a food name—I thought he'd be cute if with a name like kebab or turnip. And one name that I thought was funny was Salami. Then, he got really sick as soon as I got him, so I called an emergency room—and they asked for his name. I hadn't picked a name yet, so I just said Salami, thinking I'll to try it out. As soon as I said it, I was like, ‘Nope!’”
So, it was back to the drawing board for Marina. Then, she got a little inspiration from an unexpected source.
She continues, “My boss at the time said, ‘Well, you love The Office, what if you just called him Michael? And when he's bad you call him Prison Mike’ … and immediately I said, ‘You know what? It should just be Prison Mike, that's perfect!’”
What is your secret for choosing a great pet name?
It’s no surprise for an expert pet namer like Marina, this isn’t her first rodeo. “I've always had pets with my family,” she says, reporting a list of pets that included cats, guinea pigs, even a bird.
“I think that's always a good go-to for pets is to have cute food names,” Marina suggests. “But then, you know, think of things that are within pop culture that you like that might get a reaction. It's been fun having a name that gets a reaction from people.”
Do you have any other advice for pet parents?
“Sometimes cat bills can be really expensive,” Marina says. “I took Prison Mike to the emergency room like day two or three of having him and spent way more than I would like to.”
She continues, “I started a new job and they offer pet insurance—so, right away I said, ‘That's awesome.’ It was just like kind of a no-brainer, and so it was nice being offered it through work because otherwise I've never really thought to get it and reach out about it.”
She adds, “Like I'm not worried about if he needs care, I can give it to him … it was just all so really easy to fill out things, [Nationwide pet insurance] makes it really easy to file a claim, which is nice. But it's been just peace of mind so far where I know I can bring him in if I need to.”
Testimonial provided by an actual Nationwide member. Views expressed by the member belong solely to the member and not Nationwide, its affiliates, or employees. Actual insurance plan availability and coverage may vary.
