Skip to main content
In the pilot episode of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano tells his new therapist about a family of ducks that took up residence in the pool behind his house, then moved on after the ducklings fledged; he hasn’t felt the same since. The therapist, Dr. Melfi, suggests the ducks represent his own family, and his reaction to their departure his fear of losing them. At the moment the pilot takes place, Tony’s children are teenagers on the verge of leaving home; as the children of a mob boss, they’re more vulnerable than most. Like a lot of things Dr. Melfi says, it’s a thoughtful suggestion; it moves Tony to tears.
The Pets Issue
It’s also, in my opinion, not quite right. Tony probably never had a family pet; his experience of nature is limited to backyard barbecues and finding good spots to dump bodies. Maybe he found the ducks beautiful not because he reminded them of his children, but because they were beautiful. Maybe he missed them not because their departure triggered a larger fear, but because he enjoyed a brief connection with the natural world and then lost it. That’s a level of heartbreak not necessarily comparable with losing one’s family, but it’s a heartbreak all the same.
Am I actually talking about Tony Soprano here? Probably not. What I love about animals is that they are simply themselves, and hanging out with them takes you outside of yourself, away from the stresses of human society. But millennia of domestication mean our feathered and furry and scaly buddies need a baseline of care, which means “connecting with nature” is more involved than watching wild ducks splash around a suburban swimming pool.
If, for example, you decide to care for domesticated ducks, as one of our writers argues you should, you should probably get in the habit of changing the water they decide to swim in. While you may already know that giving a live bunny as an Easter present is a terrible idea, you may not know just how much is involved in caring for a rabbit—or what to do if you see a feral bunny digging through your garden. And if you have a dog who isn’t wild about the dog park, we’ve got some pro-level advice for getting the most out of your walks.
We also spoke to the veterinarians at the Street Dog Coalition, an organization that helps unhoused pets, or pets in danger of losing their housing, and to a Portland rocker whose new stage musical celebrates the emotional roller coaster of rescuing a dog. We even tracked down the founder of a Portland startup who says she’s produced the most thoughtfully designed cat toilet training attachment on the market.
We hope you’ll find at least one of these stories genuinely useful—and that you’ll enjoy meeting the winners of this year’s Pet Pageant, who represent a wonderful diversity of species and attitudes. In this house, these pets are heroes. End of story. —Christen McCurdy, interim Arts & Culture editor
