Meaning & Story
From the Latin professor meaning one who professes or teaches — Professor as a pet name is an honorific applied with humorous affection to an animal who displays unusual intelligence or a scholarly air.
Professor is the name for the pet who seems to be conducting research. The cat who watches you with a slightly evaluative expression, as if your behavior is interesting data. The dog who solves puzzle toys with a methodical focus that makes you slightly uncomfortable. Professor suits an animal whose intelligence is genuinely conspicuous — who you would not be entirely surprised to find reading if given the opportunity. A name for the smartest animal in the room, who knows it.