News: First Cloned Cat Made

First cloned cat-to-order cost $50,000
Woman wanted `identical' pet
Sale of `Little Nicky' stirs ethics debate


PAUL ELIAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO-The first cloned-to-order pet sold in the United States is
named Little Nicky, an eight-week-old kitten delivered to a Texas woman
saddened by the loss of a cat she had owned for 17 years.

The kitten cost its owner $50,000 (U.S.) and was cloned from a beloved cat,
named Nicky, that died last year. Nicky's owner banked the cat's DNA, which
was used to create the clone.

"He is identical. His personality is the same," the woman said in a
telephone interview.

The company, Sausalito-based Genetic Savings and Clone, made her available
to speak to reporters only on condition the woman's name and hometown not be
used. The woman said she fears being the target of groups opposed to
cloning.

"Nicky loved water, which is an unusual characteristic of cats. Little Nicky
jumped into my bath," said the woman, who said she is in her early 40s and
employed in the airline industry.

The company delivered Little Nicky two weeks ago and was expected to
publicly announce the news today.

While Little Nicky frolics in his new home, the kitten's creation and sale
has reignited fierce ethical and scientific debate over cloning technology,
which is rapidly advancing.

By May, the company said it hopes to have produced the world's first cloned
dog - a much more lucrative market than cats.

Commercial interests already are cloning prized cattle for about $20,000
each, and scientists have cloned mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, horses - and
even the endangered banteng, a wild bull that is found mostly in Indonesia.

Several research teams around the world, meanwhile, are racing to create the
first cloned monkey.

"It's morally problematic and a little reprehensible," said David Magnus,
co-director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University. "For
$50,000, she could have provided homes for a lot of strays.''

Animals' rights activists complain that new feline production systems aren't
needed because thousands of stray cats are euthanized each year for want of
homes.

Lou Hawthorne, Genetic Savings and Clone's chief executive, said his company
purchases thousands of ovaries from spay clinics across the country. It
extracts the eggs, which are combined with the genetic material from the
animals to be cloned.

Critics also complain the technology is available only to the wealthy, that
using it to create house pets is frivolous and that customers grieving over
lost pets have unrealistic expectations of what they're buying.

In fact, the first cat cloned in 2001 had a different coat from its genetic
donor, underscoring that environment and other biological variables make it
impossible to exactly duplicate animals.

"The thing that many people do not realize is that the cloned cat is not the
same as the original," said Bonnie Beaver, an animal behaviourist who heads
the American Veterinary Medical Association. "It has a different
personality. It has different life experiences. They want Fluffy, but it's
not Fluffy.''

The company says it carefully counsels its customers about what they'll
receive, but insists myriad personality and physical traits will be passed
from genetic donor to cloned offspring.

Little Nicky's owner said the company "underpromised and overdelivered" her
cat, which is of the Maine coon variety. A native New England breed, the
Maine coon gets its name from the resemblance of a tabby Maine coon's tail
to that of a raccoon.

Still other scientists warn cloned animals suffer from more health problems
than their traditionally bred peers and that cloning is still a very inexact
science. It takes many gruesome failures to produce just a single clone.

Personally, I wouldn't clone a pet of mine or anyone I knew. If they
died, then, as much as I would miss them, I honestly don't want an
identicle wandering around. I dunno if I would like myself cloned,
either, but I haven't thought about that one too much. As they said in
the article, a person who buys a clone of their deceased animal will
spend a *lot* of cash on an animal that isn't what they lost. Every
being is different because of it's experiences and whatnot. Instead of
wanting her cat that died back, she should have let him and and
provided housing/charity for other cats.

....A very controversial topic, kindof annoying how controversial it is,
actually.

"raenee" wrote in message
oups.com...

[...]

Instead of
wanting her cat that died back, she should have let him and and
provided housing/charity for other cats.


Agreed.

- RT

It is such a sad thing she did. She has a cat cloned when so many cats at
the shelters are wanting a good and loving home. That lady should be ashamed
of herself.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com
"Ruby Tuesday" wrote in message
...
First cloned cat-to-order cost $50,000
Woman wanted `identical' pet
Sale of `Little Nicky' stirs ethics debate


PAUL ELIAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO-The first cloned-to-order pet sold in the United States is
named Little Nicky, an eight-week-old kitten delivered to a Texas woman
saddened by the loss of a cat she had owned for 17 years.

The kitten cost its owner $50,000 (U.S.) and was cloned from a beloved
cat,
named Nicky, that died last year. Nicky's owner banked the cat's DNA,
which
was used to create the clone.

"He is identical. His personality is the same," the woman said in a
telephone interview.

The company, Sausalito-based Genetic Savings and Clone, made her available
to speak to reporters only on condition the woman's name and hometown not
be
used. The woman said she fears being the target of groups opposed to
cloning.

"Nicky loved water, which is an unusual characteristic of cats. Little
Nicky
jumped into my bath," said the woman, who said she is in her early 40s and
employed in the airline industry.

The company delivered Little Nicky two weeks ago and was expected to
publicly announce the news today.

While Little Nicky frolics in his new home, the kitten's creation and sale
has reignited fierce ethical and scientific debate over cloning
technology,
which is rapidly advancing.

By May, the company said it hopes to have produced the world's first
cloned
dog - a much more lucrative market than cats.

Commercial interests already are cloning prized cattle for about $20,000
each, and scientists have cloned mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, horses - and
even the endangered banteng, a wild bull that is found mostly in
Indonesia.

Several research teams around the world, meanwhile, are racing to create
the
first cloned monkey.

"It's morally problematic and a little reprehensible," said David Magnus,
co-director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University.
"For
$50,000, she could have provided homes for a lot of strays.''

Animals' rights activists complain that new feline production systems
aren't
needed because thousands of stray cats are euthanized each year for want
of
homes.

Lou Hawthorne, Genetic Savings and Clone's chief executive, said his
company
purchases thousands of ovaries from spay clinics across the country. It
extracts the eggs, which are combined with the genetic material from the
animals to be cloned.

Critics also complain the technology is available only to the wealthy,
that
using it to create house pets is frivolous and that customers grieving
over
lost pets have unrealistic expectations of what they're buying.

In fact, the first cat cloned in 2001 had a different coat from its
genetic
donor, underscoring that environment and other biological variables make
it
impossible to exactly duplicate animals.

"The thing that many people do not realize is that the cloned cat is not
the
same as the original," said Bonnie Beaver, an animal behaviourist who
heads
the American Veterinary Medical Association. "It has a different
personality. It has different life experiences. They want Fluffy, but it's
not Fluffy.''

The company says it carefully counsels its customers about what they'll
receive, but insists myriad personality and physical traits will be passed
from genetic donor to cloned offspring.

Little Nicky's owner said the company "underpromised and overdelivered"
her
cat, which is of the Maine coon variety. A native New England breed, the
Maine coon gets its name from the resemblance of a tabby Maine coon's tail
to that of a raccoon.

Still other scientists warn cloned animals suffer from more health
problems
than their traditionally bred peers and that cloning is still a very
inexact
science. It takes many gruesome failures to produce just a single clone.

I wouldn't want a clone either. I think each of my cats is unique enough and
there can only be one like them. If mine died I'd be saddened but I'd also
eventually want to get another cat. Adopting one that needs a good and
loving is also the best way to honor the memory of the cat that has passed
on. Anyone willing to spend $50,000 for a cloned cat has obviously no heart
when so many in the shelters need good and loving homes.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com
"raenee" wrote in message
oups.com...
Personally, I wouldn't clone a pet of mine or anyone I knew. If they
died, then, as much as I would miss them, I honestly don't want an
identicle wandering around. I dunno if I would like myself cloned,
either, but I haven't thought about that one too much. As they said in
the article, a person who buys a clone of their deceased animal will
spend a *lot* of cash on an animal that isn't what they lost. Every
being is different because of it's experiences and whatnot. Instead of
wanting her cat that died back, she should have let him and and
provided housing/charity for other cats.

...A very controversial topic, kindof annoying how controversial it is,
actually.

I got my cat Tiger when she was 1 1/2 years old. When I heard about the
cloned cats, I briefly thought that if I had $50,000 to throw away I'd clone
Tiger (who is still alive!) just so I could see what she looked like as a
kitten. It wasn't a serious thought. But I wish I had known Tiger as a
kitten.

The woman claims that the cloned kitten is just like her original, but the
poor baby is only 7 weeks old! In a year or two, I wonder if she'll be
saying the same thing.

--
Liz

"raenee" wrote:

...As they said in the article, a person who buys a clone of their
deceased animal will spend a *lot* of cash on an animal that isn't
what they lost. Every being is different because of it's
experiences and whatnot. Instead of wanting her cat that died back,
she should have let him and and provided housing/charity for other
cats.

I think those are very interesting/illuminating opinions you have
there. What it will all come to, I guess only time will tell.

"Elizabeth Blake" wrote in message
ink.net...
I got my cat Tiger when she was 1 1/2 years old. When I heard about the
cloned cats, I briefly thought that if I had $50,000 to throw away I'd
clone
Tiger (who is still alive!) just so I could see what she looked like as a
kitten. It wasn't a serious thought. But I wish I had known Tiger as a
kitten.

The woman claims that the cloned kitten is just like her original, but the
poor baby is only 7 weeks old! In a year or two, I wonder if she'll be
saying the same thing.

--
Liz



Almost certainly not! This kitten won't have any littermates or a mom to
learn from and therefore will be a very different animal. It would almost
serve her right if the cat turned out to be a biter.

W

gOn Thu, 23 Dec 2004 11:54:04 -0500, Ruby Tuesday wrote:

SAN FRANCISCO-The first cloned-to-order pet sold in the United States is
named Little Nicky, an eight-week-old kitten delivered to a Texas woman
saddened by the loss of a cat she had owned for 17 years.

I saw the pic of Little Nicky. Cute little bug that one, but there's a
funny thing about clones - you won't clone the memories. Yeah, Nicky
likes water and all, but Nicky also doesn't remember "mom". Nicky
probably only knows that this is "mom" from experience.

Tbat said, I gotta agree with Cat Protector. Why the hell would you spend
$50k on a copy, when you can get a cat from the shelter?! Might as well
buy yourself a brand new mercedes benz for the cat.

--
Dennis Carr - KE6ISF | I may be out of my mind,
http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way.
------------------------------------+-------------------------------
Wanna email me? Send it to ke6isf instead of bogus-user.

Well, I do understand it. If I could have an exact replica of my Sapphire
I'd do it in a heartbeat if she ever died. But I know that a lot of what
Sapphire is all about is the experiences she had before I found her and no
cat of mine will ever have such experiences. (She was declawed and then
became a stray for 3 weeks before she was even a year old.) Up until
recently she made a big deal out of making "little homes" for herself during
certain times of day. Under the covers, in a kitchen shelf, etc.. Now
she's 14 years old and has mostly come away from all that but still she is
not just her genetics but her whole life experiences, same as us.

A precious cat of ours dies, our hearts break into little tiny pieces, and
then it's time to make a home for another deserving cat.

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.