Agent Jack Meower noses out Shakespurr as wackiest cat name of 2016

Agent Jack Meower has nosed out Shakespurr as the wackiest cat name of 2016 in Nationwide's annual contest, according to a company release. After the company selected their top 10 funniest names, they were put to a public vote and Agent Jack Meower, whose name was inspired by the show "24," was crowned the winner. For a gallery of all 10 wacky cat names click through the pages below. For a gallery of this year's wackiest dog names click here.

1. Agent Jack Meower

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, resident Derek Klingel is a big fan of the TV show "24," which starred actor Keifer Sutherland as counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer. One day while spending time with friends they came up with the pun-filled name Agent Jack Meower as a funny name for a cat. Klingel joked that if he ever got a cat he'd use the name. He later found a small kitten struggling in the snow. "He wasn't going to make it without medical help so I wrapped him up and took him to the veterinarian," says Klingel. "They were able to save his life and afterwards I took him home."

After deciding to keep the kitten Klingel kept his promise and Agent Jack Meower was born.

2. Shakespurr

When Barbara Von Holleben and her family of Oldsmar, Florida brought home their first Bengal cat, they fell in love and decided to bring home a few more. The family is fans of literature, so they named their first cat Romeow, and their second cat, a female was named Juliet. To keep the trend going they realized their story wouldn't be complete without the surname of the writer Shakespeare. After a few pun-filled modifications, the group settled on Shakespurr.

"We always put a lot of thought into naming our pets. Our first cat went more than week without a name before we made our decision," says Barbara in their entry. "We've always had interest in literature, especially Shakespeare's work. So after the first two cats, Shakespurr fit perfectly."

3. Meowmadeus

Angela Farrell of St. Petersburg, Florida, adopted a new kitten from a shelter that came with the unfitting name Dusty. The kitten has black and white fur that resembles a tuxedo, and had nothing that justified the name Dusty. Farrell is a classically trained violinist and was listening to Mozart concertos as she pondered her new pet's' name. She looked over to find the kitten listening intently and bobbing his head with the rhythm.

"It was really cute, he looked like a miniature cat conductor," says Farrell. "I started thinking about Mozart, whose full name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Meowmadeus just came to me."

4. Macaroni Bob

When Colleen Kelly of Warren, Pennsylvania, brought her new cat home, she wanted to give him a name that represented his personality and character. Initially she chose Bob, because of his stubby, bobbed tail, but had second thoughts after remembering her neighbors' name is Bob, and realized that may have caused confusion.

"As I was trying to figure out what to name him, I picked him up and he went totally limp in my arms like a noodle," said Colleen. "He's kind of short and macaroni is a smaller noodle so I just put it all together and came up with Macaroni Bob."

5. Sir Pickles Pennybottom

Amey Rene' and her family of Van Nuys, California rescued a kitten from a litter of strays and wanted to name him something unique. Amey has always liked unique pet names and settled on the name Pickles. After having the kitten home for a few days, she decided his name needed a little something more.

"His regal personality gave us the idea to don him with a more distinguished name," says Rene'. "We joked that he seemed as if he was from a long lineage of royalty and the name Sir Pickles Pennybottom just came to us. We even added 'of the West Coast Pennybottoms' to his full surname because we joke that he's the only one to come out West to California."

6. Princess Poopy Paws

Michele Zebrosky of Glenville, New York, wasn't planning on adopting another pet, until her husband was called to help a stray cat that was stuck in a tree. After getting the filthy feline to safety and realizing it had nowhere to go Zebrosky brought the cat home. Zebrosky's family gave the cat a temporary name Princess, but knew it needed something more. As Princess began to adjust to her new surroundings she was perplexed by the litter box. It didn't take her long to try it out, but her first attempt didn't go very well. Princess stepped in her stoool and left paw prints around the room.

"It was pretty disgusting, but it was an accident and nothing to get mad over," said Michele. "We cleaned up the mess and the name Princess Poopy Paws just kind of came to me, much to the horror of my family. Most people think it's pretty funny, especially at the veterinary office."

7. Butch Catsidy

Mike Monahan of Atlanta, Georgia, adopted a pair of kittens that had been left on the doorstep of his local veterinarian on April, 22, 2013, which happened to be Earth day. Monahan and his girlfriend pondered what clever names could stem from this occurrence and stumbled on the fact that actor Paul Newman was a big environmental advocate. After running through Newman's roles and fooling around with puns, the names Butch Catsidy and the Sundance Kit were born.

"When people in the veterinary office hear Butch and his brother's name, they love it," said Mike. "Everyone gets the joke and they think it's clever when we explain the Earth Day birthday."

8. Sharkbait Hoo Ha Ha

When Florence Chan found a litter of four kittens in a barn near her house in Alabama, she didn't know what to do with them. After thinking about it she decided to keep them as her own, and she set to naming them. All was well until she came to the last kitten, where Chan was stumped. Until she watched "Finding Nemo" that is.

"There was a scene where the characters were chanting 'Shark Bait Hoo Haa Haa' and it got stuck in my head," Chan says in her entry."I've always had unique names for my pets, so I figured why not!"

Sharkbait Hoo Haa Haa's name brings smiles to nearly everyone she meets, especially those who have seen the movie.

"People always smile or give a little chuckle when they hear her name at the veterinary office," said Chan. "Kids love it too, especially those that like the movie."

9. Ziggy Snowdust

Carmelene Corona of Whitmore, Michigan, wasn't planning on getting a cat until one day when she was visiting her veterinarian's office with her dog where her daughter worked. Her daughter said that someone had dropped of a litter of kittens and Corona went to look at them.

"I wasn't looking to keep any of them, but then I saw this little fluffy white cat with bright blue eyes" says Corona in her entry. "My father had recently passed away and had the same color eyes. It was a sign, so I took him home."

She initially named the kitten Sebastian in honor of her late father, but he never responded to the name. Later that week, her musician husband played a show and Corona found her inspiration.

"The band played a few David Bowie songs and I got the idea for Ziggy after Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust," said Carmelene. "I changed the last part to 'Snowdust' because of his bright white fur."

That night when they got home the couple opened the door and yelled, "Hey Ziggy, Ziggy Snowdust," and for the first time since joining the home, the kitten perked up his ears and responded to his name.

10. Enzo Asparagus Santa

Amber Valentine and her family of Fairfax, Virginia take naming their pets very seriously. Names are chosen using a system in which Valentine and her two daughters each presented an idea during a family meeting and the best two options are incorporated. When their newest kitten was adopted, they bent the rules slightly and a magnificent name was born.

"I think it's important that everyone in the family gets a say," says Valentine. "As the mom of the house, I get a veto power for anything unfitting, but our method has created some pretty cool pet names, like Molly Cheescake and Oswaldo Potatoes."

After getting to know the new kitten, the family brought their ideas to the table. Valentine suggested Enzo after reading that the name represented leadership. Her oldest daughter suggested Asparagus after reading the T.S. Elliot poem "Cedar Cat." Her youngest daughter chose Santa because the cat's fur looked like a long white beard. The family decided to use all three names, instead of two because they were strong options, and Enzo Asparagus Santa was born.

Click here for a list of this year's wackiest dog names.