“Tony came to me and my husband as a foster with the name ‘Scarface,’” says Nationwide member Alenna S. She and her husband, Michael F., are proud pet parents to this wackily named mixed domestic shorthair cat named Tony Baloney. “He was such a silly guy. We figured his former home must have just loved that movie, because he was certainly no Tony Montana—but he definitely was a Tony Baloney.”
Many of the best names take time to come together. For Tony, that evolution started even before he was officially fostered at Alenna and Michael’s home. “I had seen Tony come up for foster, but for some reason I couldn't take him,” Alenna says. “Then maybe a month later, he came up for foster again. So I was like, ‘Look, there's that kitty that I saw earlier.’ I requested to foster him, and we had him for a little while and he was so fun. He napped with me right away.”
Over the days and weeks, their connection grew stronger until his foster home became officially fur-ever. She continues, “I was thinking, well, maybe I should keep him. So, he became a foster fail—we adopted him permanently, probably about a month or so later. He was just very well behaved, really fun to hang out with, and he was a good fit for our household.”
We sat down with Alenna and Michael to talk about Tony, their favorite nominees and what to do when a foster name doesn’t quite fit.
What made Tony "Baloney"?
When they brought him home, Alenna and Michael quickly realized he was less a kingpin and more of a goofball. “That was his name, and he did respond to it … but we said, ‘He’s no Tony Montana’—he's just silly and goofy and fun.”
Michael remembers an early encounter with Tony’s true baloney nature: “The first day that we brought him home, it's me and Tony. Immediately, he jumps way high onto the very top of a door, just balancing on the top of the doorframe. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, he's going to fall off.’ So, I'm trying to brace him, but it's so tall, I can't even reach. Meanwhile, he's walking back and forth, not able to get back down.” Tony eventually came back down to ground level, but expectations had been set.
From unintentional daredevil moves to greeting guests at the door, Tony’s tendency to be a ham made the “baloney” part of his name stick.
“One day we had friends over, and he really wanted to come out and hang out with us,” Alenna adds. “We let him outside and he started running around the yard back and forth, jumping up on this little step stool. We're like, ‘What is he doing? He shouldn't have the zoomies.’ But we realized he was showing off just like a little toddler would show a new person all their toys. It was just the cutest thing.”
What was it like being a Wacky Pet Name nominee?
With a name like Tony Baloney, it wasn’t hard to build enthusiasm among friends and family, Alenna says. “Rallying friends and family to vote for him was fun. We had coworker participation and family participation, and it was a fun way to reach out to all kinds of people as a touch base, to be like, ‘Hey, this is what's going on with our kitty. Give us a vote!’”
“It was really fun to hear from people nationwide who were like, I saw your cat! I heard about your cat.” Michael adds, “It was cool to see other people get excited, and experience the joy that we get from Tony.”
Did you have another favorite Wacky Pet Name nominee?
When it comes to the competition, both Alenna and Michael had a lot of love to share. “I really like Chug-Chug Pickles,” Alenna says. “I just thought that name was really funny, and it's fun to say. So that was my favorite. I also liked Beezlebun. Some of the names were long, so I'm sure they had nicknames for their pets. But I think you could say Beezlebun. I think you could say Chug-Chug Pickles. I imagine them shouting that in a dog park.”
“Yeah, I really like Beezlebun as well,” Michael says. “And then also, in the same category, Necronomicat. I think I actually voted for Necronomicat one day.”
What is your secret for choosing a great pet name?
Like many of our fan favorites, Tony’s pet parents suggest taking your time when it comes to choosing a great pet name. Alenna says, “If you need to start giving out their name to the vet and to whoever, just give it a minute and their personality will shine through. Maybe you'll have a moment with them where you'd be like, ‘Oh, definitely.’ So, just give it a little time and see what your pet's personality kind of guides you into naming them. Pets don't care. They just want your love.”
Michael adds, “I would say like for naming in general, sometimes if you just really think about it and you explore different options, something will just click. And when we had Tony Baloney, it really clicked. I would say that's probably the same thing with other pets that we've had—like that's the name that expresses everything about them."
Do you have any other advice for pet parents?
Once Tony became Alenna and Michael’s fur-ever friend, they started looking into ways to protect him from the unexpected. A friend tipped Alenna on pet insurance, which the couple thought purr-fectly fit their needs.
“[Pet insurance is] not just for emergencies. We also have wellness coverage, and we take him for wellness visits,” Alenna says. “I just was thinking, I'm a grownup with this kitty, and I want him to have the best care. It's expensive if something happens, so it seemed like the right idea.”
“I was aware about pet insurance, but I hadn't really explored it” Michael says. “When we were given the referral, it all kind of made sense.”
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.
