It is believed that the 70s game “Mendy the Mouse” triggered the Rebbe and led him to ban all the cute animals. As if we are not allowed to look at an animal if we can’t eat it? Not even a picture of an animal?
The Rebbe took “Mendy the Mouse” very personal. Perhaps there was an unpleasant encounter going all the way to the holy city of Dnepropetrovsk? Or perhaps it’s popular Mikey, a cousin of Mendy that was an issue?
Anyhow, “Mendy the Mouse” the game, is not to be confused with “Mandy the Mouse” the character in the British cartoon “Peppa Pig”. The Rebbe, in his holy wisdom, could see that it will end up with a pig.
The Rebbe introduced new rules that prohibited certain non-kosher animals from being kept in the household or on clothing, which is interesting as Jewish tradition allowed naming children after animals without such restrictions. While the Rebbe did not take action against non-Jewish names, this oxymoron of allowing an animal name but prohibiting the display of the animal itself is thought-provoking. It's possible that the Rebbe only fought battles he knew he could win, which could explain the focus on regulating the display of animals rather than on the names themselves.