Cloning Pets

[gaddylovesdogs]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=355109

[julie]

I think this is the relevant part of the article

"The thing that many people do not realize is that the cloned cat is not the same as the original," said Bonnie Beaver, a Texas A&M animal behaviorist who heads the American Veterinary Medical Association, which has no position on the issue. "It has a different personality. It has different life experiences. They want Fluffy, but it's not Fluffy."

and the price tag ! Just imagine how many animals in shelters that could help !

[oc_spirit]

I would never want to clone a pet! As much as I love OC and Chester it would kill me inside to have another one like them that was nothing like them, it would be way too alienated. I'd much rather get a completely different dog or horse and work my best with them. It's like trying to recreate something that's no there and that would just creep me out.

Cheers!

[PitBullie09]

eah, I wouldnt either..Just think of all those dogs and cats she could have helped with that, because that isnt the same cat.

[RedHotDobe]

Between 15 percent and 45 percent of cloned cats born alive die within the first 30 days

They spend all of that money to create a living thing, only to have it die?? Ugh, that is horrible. I would never want a dog identical to one I had already owned...not that it would turn out the same, you could train the dog completely different.

[PitBullie09]

omg. That is so sad though. She paid all that money and its probally going to die shortly. Ugh.

[DarknessDivine]

Sounds like "Pet Cemetery"...ewww

[GreenleafGreyhound]

I believe they said they're trying to clone dogs, too. Apparently, dogs are difficult to clone. I wonder how many lives are going to suffer before they succeed.

[gaddylovesdogs]

I would never clone a pet. I have had pets die, I miss them SO MUCH, but I feel it is mean to clone....

[Pugdawg1]

I would never do that. I love my pugs so much it hurts. But I'd never do that. It would bring back their "shell", but it would never bring back their Soul.

[Lil'Paws]

Originally Posted by GreenleafGreyhound

I believe they said they're trying to clone dogs, too. Apparently, dogs are difficult to clone. I wonder how many lives are going to suffer before they succeed.

Yes, they are trying to clone dogs and they said it was a very difficult task. I think I heard them say they hope by next year they can do that. And the price is to go down significantly.
I still wouldn't do it. It will never be the pet that passed.

[minpinsrock]

I would never do that...I mean think of all the other cats she could have rescued instead of well how do I put this...brining back the dead when you could save another animals life....

[Barrett]

I have had many dogs in my life. I loved them dearly. I don't think I loved one any less than another. They were all different and thats what I loved about them. If I would have ever cloned one I wouldn't have Bailey and Lucy and I would have missed out on so much joy with out them.

[gaddylovesdogs]

Just saw a video on it. The owner of "Little Nicky" is "so happy" and love him. They ARE trying to clone dogs, and they have cloned endangered species.

[Sayuri]

I agree - I see no reason to clone a pet. It's an exorbitant amount of money for one (which could be used to rescue, adopt, or buy from a reputable breeder). As you've all said, it's *not* the same animal, just one that looks identical (this is part of the thing that bothers me so much about movies like "Godsend" - you'd think the writer had never thought of this), and finally, there's something to be said for uniqueness. I love that Tai and Kimi and Tomfoolery are one of a kind. I love that Sally (my old cat), and he11, even my past hermit crabs and fish, were unique. It's exciting to see them develop, to become the mature animals they were meant to be. I also think that the cloning method is making it hard for these people to *truly* deal with their pets' loss. We've all lost, or will lose, pets - and it's healthy to grieve, to accept that they were one-of-a-kind, to gradually come to terms with the loss. When these people continue to insist that they are going to, through cloning "get Missy back" or "have Buddy forever" I get the feeling that they're not really dealing with loss. It's not something they can hide from forever. What happens when another family member dies?