If dogs are from Pluto and cats are from whatever planet suits them...
Would the distinct differences between the two be reflected in the names people give them?

I started pondering this afer the American Kennel Club today announced the most popular dog names in the United States. Gone are those old tired monikers like Spot, Rover or Fido. Human names are more likely to be used. Princess and King also rounded out the Top 10, which AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson suggested "reflect a pet's stature in the home."

So I decided to do a little analysis, and pulled the Veterinary Pet Insurance's list of top cat names, as drawn from their 300,000 policy holders. My findings?

* People think their cats are pretty adorable and regal, too, or at least the females. Princess was the fourth most common name for girl cats and the third for girl dogs. Angel also was in the female kitty Top 10, and Belle/Bella was number two for dogs.

* Boy dogs sound like the kind of people you would like to have a drink with: Duke, Jack and Rocky were Top 10 contenders. Bad boy names, however, seemed to suit male cats: Tigger, Tiger, Smokey and Shadow.

* Max remains a favorite pet name: Number one for male cats, number three for male dogs.

* One other name made the dog and cat Top 10: Buddy.

You can see the AKC new Top 10 names by going here. You probably won't be too surprised at the number one picks. The site also has tips for choosing a good name, some which might be applicable to cats as well, such as:

* Don't chose a name that's long and difficult to say: Confusing for your pet, hard to spell on the veterinarian records.
* Don't name a pet after a family member without getting their permission first (oops!).
* Pick a name that still will suit a puppy or kitten when it grows up.

Here is some stuff on the top cat names from VPI, via the PetPlace.com Web site. It includes links to suggestions for naming your cat by appearance (like, maybe, Fluffy?) and a list of "cool" names (Harry Potter???).

So: What is the best name you ever gave one of your animal companions?

Years ago, I inherited a panther-ish black young adult male cat from a co-worker who had to relocate. The cat had just gone through major urinary tract surgery and he arrived at my house wearing a giant plastic white cone around his head, to keep him from biting his stitches.

I told my roommate he looked like a kitty that was half satellite dish. So his name became:
Sputnik, after the famous Russian satellite.