Dear LPG, 

One of the best things that I ever did is get a pet.  For people who live alone they really do give a new focus as you spend time with them.  It is interesting to note that while there are a few more unusual species to choose from these days, most people go the way of a cat or a dog.  I found a few statistics which tell that a dog is still man’s best friend and a much more popular choice for households in most of the country but, I found it surprising that the only place where there are more cats than dogs doubling as domestic pets is London.

I think that when we get older, quite a few of us opt for a pet to go some way to filling a lonely gap that is left when the children move out, and we tend to choose to own a cat because they are one of the more leg-friendly pet species to be found.   Dogs need that daily walk, and our older legs often start to feel what the ravages of time have done to the pair that God gave us at just the time that retirement comes knocking on our doors.

If you feel the need for exercise and a definite reason to take a daily walk or two a dog has to be your answer.  They make for more constant companions while Cats are affectionate but independent when it comes to their need for exercise, and they always come home for dinner (as long as one of your neighbours is not feeding them as well as you).   

They can come with quite a lot of initial expense while you choose their food and drink bowls, a comfy bed, a lead, or scratch toy, and having a cat or dog flap put in can also be an expensive business. Then there is where you are going to make space for their ‘dining-table’ and bedroom areas.  

Finally, there is, arguably the most crucial decision of them all, what name are you going to impose on your new companion.  It takes me back to agonising over what to call your child, although there you have the added pressure that comes with what his or her other parent has set their heart on name-wise.  Even if there is no co-naming pressure, I think that the naming process can be one of the biggest challenges. 

You could borrow a name of a character from a favourite book or film, or be influenced by the suggestion of a friend or family member, or you could be lucky and buy a new pet which already has a name, but please take this into consideration… 

Whether you are walking down the street while communicating with them for training purposes, which for a dog owner is an art in itself, or calling them in at night, which can be one of the most challenging responsibilities for any cat owner as the daylight fades,  the name you are going to be repeating a lot needs to be one that you will not feel too embarrassed to say day in and day out, using all the intonations that will be needed  in the future as you try your best to reflect affection, command, irritation, surrender, annoyance and encouragement.

That name you are going to choose is going to have to be open to a lot of interpretation!

My pet and I have been together for a while now so he well and truly knows who he is, but just in case you are still battling with finding the right one, I have found a list of the most popular ones and another showing the oddest ones that the internet has to offer… 

PK, Forest Hill

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