Whether you’re a cat person, dog-lover, or both, there’s an astonishing amount of overlap between all of these categories, around the world. At least, when it comes to choosing names for your beloved furever friends. Luna, for example, is an almost-universally beloved moniker.
As ‘Rover’ notes in its most recent top pet names report, in the United States, the most popular female cat name in 2025 is Luna, which is also the most popular female dog name. The top male cat name is Milo, while the top male dog name is Charlie.
This exact same trend holds true in Canada.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom, the top female cat and dog name is Luna, while the most popular male cat and dog name is Milo.
In Spain, female cats and dogs are also most often named Luna. Male cats are most commonly named Simba, while male dogs are often named Coco.
France stands out from the crowd, as the top female cat and dog name is Nala, rather than Luna. In the meantime, male cats are most often named Simba, while male dogs usually get named Rio.
During a previous in-depth interview, Bored Panda reached out to cat specialist and clinical animal behaviorist, Sally Chamberlain. She was kind enough to share her wisdom and answer our questions about feline behavior.
She shared that cats tend to be alluring to so many people because of their large eyes, cute faces, quirky behavior, and the sleek, nimble way in which they move.
“Much of their behavior comes from their ancestry as solitary hunters of small prey. Because of this, their behavior can often seem mysterious and funny to humans because we are a very different species, even when they are exhibiting normal feline behavior such as wiggling their bottom when they are about to pounce on a toy or climbing up the curtains, it can be amusing,” Chamberlain explained to Bored Panda earlier.
According to the animal behaviorist, cats have strong hunting instincts. “Much of their behavior relates to being a hunter and survivor. Squeezing into a tight box could be a good hiding spot for a cat trying to avoid predators or it might make an excellent place to hide when they are hunting, ready to pounce on nearby rodents. Of course, in the case of a domestic cat, hiding in a box may simply be fun, but the above scenarios are deeply ingrained in such behavior because they form part of their natural instincts.”
“Jumping up onto high cupboards gives a cat a good vantage point from which to survey their ‘cat-dom’. Their wild ancestors would have got up high to look around for predators and competitors for their territory, and to also lie in wait for prey, such as small birds. Much of the hunting sequence for a cat is spent waiting,” the cat specialist told us earlier.
“They can wait for many hours for the right opportunity to pounce on a mouse or catch a bird, so staring out of the window can satisfy this need for a cat, especially if they can see birds outside. Similar behavior is common in all domestic cats, which is why play is important for their daily routine, along with enriching their environment with high and low resting places, such as cat trees and cardboard boxes.”
According to the expert, cats will “take advantage of anything they can” in order to ensure that they feel safe and their survival needs are met. This includes behaving around us “in persuasive ways” so that, for example, they can get food or a warm seat.
“The way a cat behaves has to be taken into context. A cat that is always seeking out high places to rest may simply like to sleep up high, but it could also be the case they are stressed about something at a lower level, such as another pet in the household or small children. Cats are instinctive but they are also intelligent, so their behavior is unlikely to be random.”
