Have you ever considered cloning your pet? Here’s what you need to know

domestic animal Just don’t survive long. We spend time, emotions, energy, and lots of money caring for them, all the while knowing that we will outlive them.

It is not surprising, then, that with the advent of cloning technologies, an increasing number of people are seeking the ability to create copies of their beloved pets.

When Dolly the sheep was born in 1997, it heralded a major breakthrough in our ability to successfully clone mammals. Since then, cloning has become big business – and so have celebrities like former American footballer tom brady And actor Barbra Streisand has reportedly cloned her pet dogs. It has inspired many people pet owners Wondering if their much-loved pets might also be immortal.

Creating copies of special pets can be a way to keep alive the deep bond between person and pet, especially since their loss can be devastating. But is cloning our pets a good idea? Cloning is not only expensive, but also potentially brings health and welfare risks to the clone. There is also a high possibility that your cloned pet will be nothing like your original in personality, behavior and appearance.

The African clawed frog was the first vertebrate to be cloned in the early 1960s. Since then, many species have been successfully cloned, including rats, ferrets, sheep, horses, dogs, cattle, and cats.

The basic principle of cloning is to create an exact genetic copy of an organism. Just as identical twins have the same genetic profile, animal clones are genetically identical to the “parent” animal from which the genetic material is derived.

The process of cloning animals is called somatic cell nuclear transfer or SCNT. Genetic material is removed from the nucleus of an individual cell, which is then transferred to an egg cell whose nucleus was removed. Under the right conditions, that egg cell can develop into a new organism – a clone. For domesticated clones, the treated eggs need to be transferred to a surrogate female, who will incubate and then give birth to the fully developed clone.

Although biologists are experimenting with many types of cloning Animal Success has been slow for more than a century. Even today, the success rate of animal cloning is only around 16%.

But while we might think that cloning our beloved pets would mean creating an identical copy of them, cloning doesn’t work that way.

Yes, clones will be genetically identical – but the behavior of an individual animal cannot be replicated. Although some animal breeds may share common traits, their personality is also a result of their life experiences and their environmental exposures. All of these influence how genes actually function.

So unless you can create the exact same maternal influence, parenting, routines, and living conditions for your clone pet, it is unlikely that they will behave in the same way as your original pet.

Even the physical appearance of cloned animals may differ from that of the original genetic donor. This is a result of how genes are expressed. This means that the coat color of the clone may differ from that of the “original”. For example, the genetic donor of the first cloned cat, “CC”, was calico – but the clone had a brown coat.

Ethics of Pet Cloning

Cloning of pets also raises important ethical considerations. Our pets cannot consent to have their genetic material retrieved before or after death for the production of clones.

If tissue samples are to be obtained from a living pet for future cloning potential, this may be associated with pain and distress – as well as the financial burden of monthly storage fees for samples that need to be cryogenically stored.

While cloning can be useful for conservation efforts of endangered species and agricultural production of economically valuable animals, the same does not apply to our pets.

The process of SCNT involves collecting eggs from female animals that may be invasive, involving hormone treatment and surgery. Even pregnancy and birth for surrogate mothers can be problematic, with pregnancy loss, birth abnormalities and offspring loss being relatively common – although this is also seen with natural reproduction. The care and welfare of egg donors and surrogate females also needs to be carefully considered throughout the cloning process.

There are also potential health problems for cloned animals. One study showed that 48% of cloned piglets die within the first month of life and cattle clones have musculoskeletal problems including lameness and tendon problems.

Some early evidence also suggested that clones had an increased risk of early osteoarthritisBut recent studies suggest that this may not be the case. As clones become more numerous, our understanding of their health will improve – but currently there is still a lot we don’t know.

If your pet has a genetic disease or is at increased risk for the disease due to genetics, any clones will inherit them as well. This means that any cloning decision must be carefully considered for long-term animal welfare.

Cost is also a significant concern – cloning typically costs more than US$50,000 (£37,836). It’s easy to see how that money could be used to benefit the pet population in general – including those in shelters looking for loving homes.

In the UK, pet cloning is not currently allowed commercially – it is viewed as a form of animal experimentation. However, the process can be initiated by recovering tissue samples from the donor animal and then carried forward in collaboration with foreign laboratories, if your bank balance allows.

Our pets are important members of our family. Cloning may initially seem like the perfect way to keep them in our lives longer. But with the challenges and potential concerns associated with this process, we will be in a better position to devote time, money, emotional energy to making their time with us as happy and memorable as possible. This is often the best heirloom of a much-loved pet.