When it comes to pet owners, it’s very clear that they absolutely love and adore their animals. When they adopt or rescue an animal, their love and attachment to their pet grows and grows over the years.
And, while having a pet is one of the most beautiful experiences, it is also met with some pain and sorrow. As we all know, humans almost always outlive their pets as animals’ life spans are much shorter than humans. When we lose a pet, it’s like losing a piece of ourselves.
RELATED STORIES
Losing a pet is like losing a family member.
For many, losing a pet is like losing a son or daughter. The pain of nurturing and caring for something that leaves you is not something that is easy to cope with or manage. Many pet owners would do just about anything to get their beloved pets back and now, some of them actually are doing things to try and “bring them back.”
Recently, “pet cloning” has become a new experimental way to keep your pet around.
Through a Texas-based company called ViaGen , pet owners now have the opportunity to actually “clone” their pet who has passed. For $35,000, those who wish to clone their cats are able to do so through the company. For dogs, it costs $50,000. On ViaGen’s website, they also state that they offer horse cloning, as well.
Cloning is not a quick process and does take some time.
The process is a pretty long one and your pet won’t be cloned overnight. Once you are working with the ViaGen Pet company, you have to submit a sample of your pet’s DNA to the lab. The lab will provide you with feedback if it’s viable to use. Then, there is a “gestation period” of 60-65 days, and a nursing process of 56 days.
And, while your pet will have the same DNA as the original, it won’t be the exact same pet.
Despite the idea that cloning your pet will bring your deceased dog or cat back to life, your “cloned pet” won’t be the exact same. While they may look identical and share DNA, all animals and pets have their own unique personality. Depending on their environment, pets react differently and can have different quirks, triggers, and mannerisms.
Recently, one cat owner shared the story of her cloned cat Belle. Kelly Anderson
Kelly Anderson had her beloved cat Chai for five years before he passed away in 2017. The pet owner was absolutely devasted by the loss.
“I couldn’t sleep that night. I just remembered having a conversation with my roommate, who’s a vet tech, at some point that night about cloning,” Anderson told The Sun .
Sending in a sample of Chai’s skin, the lab was able to make Belle.
While the cats are identical in DNA and genetic makeup, as the lab states, they are not the same cat. And, while Anderson was missing her cat Chai completely and wanted to clone him so she can continue their journey together—she didn’t get what she expected really.
Anderson said the two cats are “totally different.”
“They have some baseline personalities that are a little similar. Like they’re very bold, sassy, cats, but that could be the breed. But Belle is a totally new cat,” Anderson said. She claims that her new cat, Belle, is a “troublemaker” unlike her old cat, Chai.
Regardless, Anderson is happy with her choice.
“She’s a kitten and she wants to play all the time. She’s really rambunctious like any other six-month-old kitten. She’s very affectionate and inquisitive and just bold. She has no fear at all she loves going out to new places.
I bring her outside or to breweries. She loves exploring and meeting other animals,” Anderson shares.
And, while the cat owner does not regret cloning, there is a lot of controversy around the process.
Many people online give Anderson a lot of hate on social media for cloning her cat instead of adopting. There are hundreds upon hundreds of stray and abandoned animals in local shelters always looking for a loving home.
On top of this, PETA has been outspoken against cloning animals.
PETA has been outspoken about wanting to ensure that “cloning” doesn’t become a widespread trend, as they advocate for those animals in shelters just wanting and waiting for a loving home. Anderson opens up about PETA’s interaction with her on her TikTok channel.
It’s definitely one of the more controversial conversations.
