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Mass. Meow! We want to know your locally themed pet names

They may or may not be in “The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to, Anyway)."

Anyone out there with a dog named Sox? Jim Davis/Globe Staff, file

By Peter Chianca

1 minute to read

Who knew picking your pet’s name could be such a complicated process? Bob Eckstein, that’s who.

In fact, the accomplished cartoonist and author — you’ve likely seen his work in the New Yorker, McSweeny’s, and the New York Times, among many others — has managed to devote 113 pages to the fine art of cat-naming in his new book, “The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won’t Answer to, Anyway).”

“This was a really fun project, and I had some stuff laying around — a lot of cat cartoons, cat fun facts, and some good cat advice,” Eckstein recently explained to the Strip Search comic strip podcast. Which is a good thing, because as Eckstein notes in his materials for the book, “A cat’s name will set the tone for the rest of their personal and professional life.”

A cat cartoon by Bob Eckstein. – Courtesy Image
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And an important factor in naming your pet is that particular pet’s geographic location and its owner’s interests and history, which would explain cat names in the book like “Fenway,” “Yaz,” “Kennedy,” “Jackie O,” “Mayflower,” and of course “Paw Revere.” Eckstein also shared with Boston.com a few Boston-specific suggestions that didn’t make the book, like “Baked Beans,” “Sox” (naturally), and one possibly less likely to go over well around these parts: “Buckner.” (Although as we all know, the Red Sox first baseman was eventually redeemed.)

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You can listen to Eckstein’s full interview below, and then scroll down to respond to our survey searching for people who’ve named their pets — cats, dogs, birds, fish or other — after a New England, Massachusetts, or Boston landmark or personality. We’ve heard that “Charlie,” “Brady,” and “Mac” are all popular, and even “Harvard” might be an appropriate local moniker — Eckstein would probably approve of that one, given his bestseller “Footnotes From the World’s Greatest Bookstores” includes his very own portrait of the Harvard Book Store.

From “Footnotes From the World’s Greatest Bookstores” by Bob Eckstein.

Answer our survey below, or email [email protected], and we may include your response in a future article.

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