Many of you may have already read this article about the first cat commercially cloned for $50,000. Genetic Savings & Clone, which did this, made the news earlier in 2004 by successfully cloning a cat (non-commercially).

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Would you pay $50,000 for cloned pet? If not, is there a price point where you would consider it?

Do you believe that the woman who paid for version 2.0 of her kitty is just unable to accept her version 1.0 kitty's death? What reasons might she have for doing this? What reasons might you have for doing this?

Ethics

Do you think cloning of pets is ethical?

Human cloning is surely not far off: is this ethical?

What are the short term and long term implications of this technology?

1. I have had to endure the loss of cats I loved very much. I would not want to clone one of them, even if it were free. The reason is simple, and I cannot emphasize it enough: The clone is not the original. Having a genetic duplicate of an animal I loved would not be the same as bringing that animal back from the dead. Cloning is not immortality, no matter what science fiction may say.

2. I think you are correct. The woman, like all of us, wants to deny the reality of death.

3. I don't think it's unethical, really, as much as foolish, for the reasons I've given above. Instead of spending so much money is a false quest for a lost loved one, it would make more sense to mourn, and to learn to love another.

4. Unlike many, I don't think human cloning is inherently unethical; it's just pointless. It's a stunt. The first cloned human will make the history books, but there is really no difference at all between a clone and an identical twin. I don't buy the nightmare scenarios of clones as slaves or as sources of organ transplants. They will simply be people, with all the rights of people. The world is not exactly suffering from a shortage of people, so why come up with another way to make more?

5. Short-term: Raging debates over ethics. Long-term: People will wonder what all the fuss was about.

It's strange, but this very though passed through my mind last night. I lost a cat I had had for 17 years in 1998 and another I had had for 13 years in 2001. I now have the two Siamese mixes you see in the avatar. Nothing can replace the two I lost, but the current cats are making their marks in their own way.

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Would you pay $50,000 for cloned pet? If not, is there a price point where you would consider it?

I would not consider cloning my pet at any price, because I realize that cloning reproduces the physical patterns of the animal, but it does not reproduce the personality or behavioral patterns.

Death is a natural part of existence, and a clone can't replace the being that was lost. It can merely serve as a physical reminder of the previous pet, but how fair is that to the new animal? Rather than being appreciated for who and what it is, the new animal will be the victim of an owner who will always be chasing after the ghost of a previous pet. I can't imagine that a person could find anything more than disappointment in that.

Do you believe that the woman who paid for version 2.0 of her kitty is just unable to accept her version 1.0 kitty's death? What reasons might she have for doing this? What reasons might you have for doing this?

Yes, I think she's trying to recreate kitty 1.0, because she doesn't know how to let go.

Ethics

Do you think cloning of pets is ethical?

In theory, I don't have an ethical problem with cloning, although it seems a bit early to be bringing this technology to the public regardless of how much money is being put forth. The majority of the successful animal clones up to this point have not been entirely healthy. More research is necessary. (Although, I suppose that cash is needed in order to pay for this research.)

Human cloning is surely not far off: is this ethical?

It depends upon the situation, I suppose. In general, yes, I think it's ethical, but I don't really see a purpose for it currently. As technology improves, I believe that there could be application as far as allowing a couple who normally can't have children to scientifically produce offspring with the traits of both parents, but that's all genetic engineering, and it's definitely beyond my understanding.

This is disgusting and indefensible as well as unethical. Every year in America alone there is a veritable holocaust when it comes to unwanted cats. The sheer ignorance and irresponsibilty of my fellow Americans is squarely to blame for the euthanasia of millions. This doesn't even take into account the millions of feral cats now loose and living on the fringes of urban and suburban America.
Now someone is going to squander 50k to be reminded of a dead pet. Never mind the fact that the cat only looks the same, she must know it will never be the same animal.
If I met this woman, I would have no reservation whatsoever slapping her directly in the face. I guess we can only imagine the benefit that money could've brought to dozens if not hundreds of volunteer staffed animal shelters anywhere in the county. It is well past time to start nuetering the stupid and grossly selfish among us.

I love all three of my cats. One of them in particular will devastate me when she dies. I have never had such a close bond with an animal, yet I feel it would diminish the relationship we have had to clone her appearance and not her personality and talents.