Like many Wacky Pet Names nominees, Cheddar Big Booty Cheeseburger’s Wacky Pet Names nomination came as a surprise to his mom, Nationwide pet insurance member Chan S. “I had no idea it was even a thing,” Chan remembers. But deep down she knew her cat had a clear spot in the competition. “His name is pretty wild. I figured, why not?” she says.
Turns out, she was right. Cheddar Big Booty Cheeseburger wowed the voters and brought a little super-sized delight to the winner’s podium for Wackiest Feline Name. Chan adds, “It has also been really fun and exciting to experience how other people really love my kiddo.”
We sat down with Chan to talk about life with her big orange chonk, being a Wacky Pet Names nominee and more.
Tell us a little bit about Cheddar Big Booty Cheeseburger.
Chan says, “He’s a really chill, laid-back cat. If there isn't anything else going on around, he loves to lounge in the sun and watch his programs—I call ‘outside the window’ his little melodrama series. But when there are humans involved, he does love attention and having you physically close to him.”
She adds, “Once he gets comfortable with you, if you start sitting down—he's already in your lap and he's sitting there purring.”
When asked what word or phrase best describes Cheddar, Chan had no question about the answer. “Chonk,” Chan says. “That's the only thing that comes to mind. He’s built like a brick house, just sturdy. That's the first and resounding word that I think of when I see my boy.”
Does Cheddar live up to his wacky name?
“I don't think he's as wacky as people would hope that he is,” Chan reports. “He’s very low energy, really chill, very sedentary. But I think if anything, just maybe he has wacky audacity when it comes to his demands.”
Those demands involve no small amount of wacky-name-worthy scritches: “If you don't give him butt scratches, he will come running to meow at you and throw his butt towards you with his little tail up,” Chan says. “He’ll do like the little happy tail dance: he wiggles a whole bunch, and he’ll look back like, ‘Hey, come on, do your job.’”
What do you think gave Cheddar Big Booty Cheeseburger the winning edge?
While Chan doesn't have any hints for future nominees on how to take home the wacky gold—"Only four people in my immediate circle know about it,” she says—Cheddar's wacky name stood out on its own.
“I really think because I talked about his butt,” she laughs. “I think it's because of his butt that everybody was kind of more drawn towards it, because like I can’t tell you how many [orange cats are named] ‘Cheddar’ or ‘Cheese’ or something within that realm. I think because there is that big booty, and he has a lovely asset, I think that's what really stuck out.”
Then, there’s the combination of words in the name. Chan adds, “It's just kind of stacks, just like a cheeseburger.”
Any words for Cheddar’s fanbase?
Chan was largely unaware of the excitement building up around her beloved orange kitty, which made his newfound celebrity quite a surprise. “It was definitely overwhelming to just see everybody talking about him,” Chan says. “He was on the ‘Today’ show. Al Roker talked about my cat.”
She continues, “For everybody that loves this big, sweet, kissable boy, he is so grateful and so happy that you enjoyed his name. It brings me lots of love and joy just to see everybody having a grand old time just reacting and loving just how funny that his name is.”
Any other pet tips for our audience?
One common question that Chan got from friends and family is how she got involved in Wacky Pet Names to begin with. “They wanted to get in on the contest,” Chan remembers. “And I'm like, ‘You got to get that insurance!’”
Chan says, “Nationwide is offered as one of the benefits for the job that I work for. Having insurance for Cheddar gives me peace of mind to know that I've got somebody back in my corner. Even if I'm going to be spending a lot of money towards his care, I will be able to have that coverage to help cover those costs. Also, I like having the perks and benefits, that makes me feel a lot calmer in the mind.”
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.
