“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare once wrote in Romeo and Juliet. It turns out for pets, having the right name can make a very big difference.
While most people give their cats short, simple names—Max, Tiger and Lucy are among the most popular—some people take a very different route, giving them an unusual name that really draws attention.
And one cat’s monicker earned the attention of his real-life namesake.
Earlier this year, the Lynchburg Humane Society became home to a black cat named “Dennis Quaid,” after the everyman Hollywood star of movies like The Day After Tomorrow and The Parent Trap.
Fitting for a cat named after an actor, this cat is not shy. He loves people and loves to play.
“Dennis is such a social cat!” the humane society wrote. “He loves everyone and everything! He definitely misses you while you’re away and will greet you like a dog when you return home.”
Sadly, this loving cat did not have a family of his own, but the humane society was committed to finding him just the right owner.
“It’s been almost 3 weeks since Dennis Quaid came home with me and let me tell you, this cat is the bomb-diggity and he is looking for a family or couple to adopt him,” they wrote.
“Whoever adopts this cat is getting a rare gem! Definitely be thinking about Dennis Quaid!”
But soon, the shelter got a very special adoption request…
…from the actual Dennis Quaid!
That’s right: the original Dennis Quaid heard about his feline counterpart and decided it would only be fitting that he be the one to take him home.
“It was really off the wall, but I just couldn’t resist. I had to,” Quaid told 10 News.
It seemed too bizarre to be true, and the humane society had a hard time believing the story.
“I was like there is no way this is real, like, someone is pranking us,” said Danielle Ulmer, Adoption Center Manager at Lynchburg Humane Society.
But it was very real. Quaid might be the star of A Dog’s Purpose, but he definitely has a spot in his heart for cats — at least the ones with his name.
“I’m out to save all the Dennis Quaids of the world,” he joked.
It was such a successful adoption that it might just be the new plan to clear the shelters.
“Maybe they should start naming animals in shelters after different celebrities and see who bites,” Quaid said, while Ulmer said they were definitely planning on it.
Wow! Thank you to Dennis Quaid for rescuing this cat! We know these two same-name buddies will be very happy together.