A stock photo of two ragdoll kittens.Photo:GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty
GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty
A Canadian woman has successfully cloned her belovedragdoll cattwice — but the process came at a high cost.
“Bear was the smartest animal I think I’ve ever had, and I’ve had animals since I was two years old,” she said before adding that she was “thrilled” with her brand new kittens, who are already showing similarities to her Bear.
“They both seem like Bear,” Stewart shared with CBC. “These guys are bold and sassy.”
“Cat cloning does not change the genetic make-up of your cat and does not involve any genetic modification,” per ViaGen’s site. “Your cloned cat will share many of the most important attributes of your current cat, including appearance, intelligence, and temperament.”
Stewart said she did four embryo transfers using Bear’s DNA, which led to two failed cloning attempts before Bear Bear and Honey Bear were born.
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ViaGen told the Canadian outlet that the biotech company has over 1,000 customers worldwide, including Canada. This isn’t the company’s first cat-cloning success, either — in 2019, North Carolina couple Bryan and Ashley Bullerdick paid $25,000 toclone their cat Cinnabun.
“I didn’t know it was possible until I read the article,” Bryan toldSWNSback in 2019.
“We never really thought much about the cost,” he added. “It is a lot of money, but I know people who spend that on vacations all the time. This is an animal that we hope will be with us for two decades.”
“So I just think an animal that smart that gave me so much joy should be replicated. And that’s what cloning is,” she said. “Call me a poor money manager, but when it comes to the care and well-being of my pets, I just don’t even put dollar signs in front of it.”
Other creatures have also been the subject of cloning — in 2021,ViaGen helped to clone a black-footed ferret, marking the first time an endangered species in the U.S. has been cloned.
Domestic pet owners — including horse lovers — can pay ViaGen anywhere from $1,000 to begin the “genetic preservation” process, according to the company.
source: people.com
