Katsu ranks 1888 in the pet registry with 53 male animals. It's a Japanese word most familiar in the West as tonkatsu — the breaded pork cutlet — though in Japanese it also means victory. On a pet, you're almost certainly naming your animal after the food, and that's a completely charming rationale.
The Food Name Register
Food-derived pet names have their own distinct aesthetic: Mochi, Dumpling, Pretzel, Biscuit. Katsu fits this register with a specific Japanese food culture flavor that signals the owner's culinary sensibility. It suits small, round, brown animals with particular precision — a Shiba Inu named Katsu is working at maximum thematic coherence. Akitas and other Japanese breeds carry the name with breed-appropriate weight.
The Victory Reading
The Japanese word katsu (勝) means to win, to be victorious. That secondary meaning gives the name an unexpected depth for owners who know it — a small dog striding confidently across the kitchen floor with the energy of victory is genuinely funny. The sound is clean: KAT-soo, two syllables with a sharp stop on the first.
The Counter-Reading: Cultural Specificity
Katsu reads as unambiguously Japanese in origin, which is a feature if it connects to your household's culture or culinary life and a minor consideration if it doesn't. The food association dominates either way. Browse pet names by aesthetic if you're building around a Japanese food name theme.