By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

My parents used to joke that the one thing they agreed on was that my brothers and I could have no pets. That meant not even a gerbil or a guinea pig in my room. (Frogs, toads and salamanders kept outside the house were fine. I still love all three.) My father was cornered by a large dog when he was young and stuttered afterward for a bit (at least according to family lore), and seemed to dislike all animals because of that. I’m not sure why my mother agreed, but she was just as adamant about no pets.
Now I’m spoiled by not having to take care of any kind of animal. It’s not that I don’t like animals. I certainly enjoy my friend’s pets, but I never have to rush home to walk my stuffed animals (hey, a girl has to have some kind of fur therapy) and, although when a friend tried for a year to convince me to get a cat, she refused to say she would deal with the litter box, so I nixed that.
By now you may be wondering if The Reporter put the wrong header on this column because so far I’ve only talked about pets, not food. Well, what inspired me to think about pets was a food column published on The Nosher website called “The Top 7 Dog Names Inspired by Jewish Food” (www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-top-7-dog-names-inspired-by-jewish-food). The article says dogs, but the food could also be used as names for cats and other animals. I know this because a friend does have a cat called Pickles, which she named years before this article appeared.
I confess to loving the #1 name: Kugel. Of course, it makes me think of that sweet noodle kugel my mom used to make. (Yes, I know there is a big debate about sweet vs. savory kugel, but the savory kugel folks are wrong. And don’t even get me started on a potato dish that, while good, should not have the same name.) I envision a cute, fluffy dog when hearing the name. (I’ve been accused of liking small, hairy “dust-mop” style dogs by a friend.) I bet any dog worthy of that name would be super sweet. 
Some of the other names didn’t strike me as appealing. I’m not a big fan of babka (the food), so I’m not sure I would want to name my dog Babka. I do like bagels, but that just doesn’t seem like an animal’s name. (I have a neighbor who has had dogs called Pumpkin or Cupcake, and, while those fit, they aren’t Jewish food names.) The above mentioned Pickles does work for me, though. (My friend’s other cat is called Capers.) I would think that a cat named Pickles might be a bit standoffish and spicy, though. 
While Matzah or Matzah Ball also doesn’t appeal, I like the suggested nickname Matzy. I’m debating Latke or Brisket, but I could see them growing on me. Well, I’m not sure that it matters because as much as I would like a pet called Kugel, it’s just not going to happen. However, if any of these names appeal to readers, feel free to invite me to meet your new pet once you’ve given them their Jewish name. I’m almost always up for fur therapy.