I read of Babs having cloned Samantha, her late beloved coton de tuléar. For about twice what an average American earns in a year, she has two cotton terrier exact copies. Obviously, neither one is Samantha: epigenetics and environment introduce too many variables, and identity seems to be a uniquely individual property. I have no doubt that she will love Violet and Scarlett just as much as she did Samantha.
PETA, of course, objects, saying there are millions of shelter pets that long for homes, which may or may not make sense.
But the idea gives me a bad feeling. If I could have cloned my Nefurtari when I lost her, I do not think I would have. Sometimes, you just have to move on, and having a living reminder of who is no longer with you seems wrong.
How do you feel about it?
I don’t like it. As much as I have loved my lost babies. It would never be the same animal. When they died,
It made me get up and take on another animal, who I am convinced, made my life story what it is. Without each ones peculiarities and needs I have learned new lessons. Plus the animals life has been enriched and happy.
I have had many cat’s in many different ways. Some were dumped on me, some I sought out. They have all left paw prints on my heart. But when I decided to buy my Siamese litter mates, boy was this a whole new way of dealing with felines. The breeder told me my life would change. I scoffed, I was a veteran cat guardian, what did she know that I didn’t. Wow was I shocked. I kid about them owning me and ruling me all the time. I dont exaggerate much. They are a demanding breed. But, boy do I love them. They are just as beautiful and quirky as the books all say.
My current pups are only helped by my previous canines. I am a calm and easy owner, it shows in their behaviour.
No, cloning is not something I would want to do.
As the article says - you’ll never get the same pet back again. She’s got two dogs, both clones of the one she lost, and they each have different personalities from the original, and from each other.
The only purpose in cloning is to preserve specific genetic traits. You can’t clone a personality. And that’s exactly why animals are magic. If every dog’s behavior was predictably the same we wouldn’t get so attached to them. You can clone in the tendency, but you can’t clone the quirks.