I get all kinds of questions about cloning, the process, how similar Belle is to Chai, and so much more, so I figured I’d throw together a page with some of the top questions. If you have any other questions, please do reach out. I’d love to hear them, and chances are other people would, as well. Many of these are copy/pasted from ViaGen Pet’s website or from email conversations with staff.
Resources
Check out these links for some good reads and great information on cloning!
Science
Where do the eggs used with the clone’s DNA come from?
ViaGen sources their eggs from barn cats that they TNR. They also have worked closely with spay clinics to collect oocytes for the process. Fun fact, they’ve sponsored free spay clinics at animal hospitals to procure these.
Can multiple kittens be born during one attempt?
Yes. Multiple embryos are implanted in the surrogate to ensure best odds for pregnancy. The transfer usually includes another client’s embryos as well. Belle was born with two twin, black and white kittens.
Is there any science data or do we know if all genetic clones smell the same? For example, would my dog recognize the scent of the cat he grew up with when meeting the clone?
ViaGen was not aware of any research that had been performed on this subject. They had heard stories from clients where a particular pet in the household that was close to the original cat/dog befriended the cloned pet as well. They said they didn’t know if that was related to smell or just the cloned pet’s behavior being similar to the donor.
Phenotype can be different with clones. Based off of a number of things, health, environment, etc. Does that apply just to color genetics or to genetics across-the-board, such as facial structure, etc.?
For physical appearance, this is typically something just seen in coloring. Cats are especially unique in their coat coloring genetics – more specifically calicos and torties. ViaGen cloned a calico cat and a tortie. The calico looked almost identical in its markings to the original cat. There were two of the tortie kittens born, and interestingly each kitten was a different color. Markings/spot patterns can also be a bit different since this is not something that is 100% genetic. The other physical difference they’d seen is if the original pet was the runt of the litter, the cloned puppy or kitten would likely be a bit bigger in size since they have smaller litters and there is not the same competition for food. They had not received any feedback regarding facial structure being different.
If the donor cat had a genetic health issue would it carry on to the clone?
Yes. Chai did not have any genetic health issues that we were aware of, and she had been tested in the past for the major ones Ragdolls carried.
Won’t she live a half life like Dolly?
No. Dolly was cloned in 1996. Technology and science has come a long way since then. Not to mention four other sheep were later cloned from the same cell line and lived full lives to 10 years. The first cat, CC, was born in 2001. She lived to be 18 years old.
Early Care
What did Belle’s surrogate and “birth siblings” look like?
She was a DSH with tortoiseshell coloring. There were two black kittens who were also female and had a little bit of white.
Where do the surrogates come from?
ViaGen partners with a breeder for their surrogate moms. They can’t work with rescues or shelter cats because they need to work with surrogate moms that have a known health history to ensure they aren’t passing anything to the kittens.
Adopting the surrogate is an option after a successful pregnancy. If the surrogate isn’t adopted, where does that cat go back to? And, if someone has more than one clone born and just wants to keep one, where does that extra kitten go?
The cat will go back to the breeder to see if it is best with her to stay with their breeding program or if it would be best that she be adopted to a forever home. If a client would only opt to take one kitten, any additional kittens would be adopted to a forever home. ViaGen said they’d had this happen a handful of times with puppies, and someone within the company usually adopts them since they get pretty attached.
Is the kitten bottle fed or with the surrogate through the entire neonatal stage of the process?
The kitten is with the surrogate mother through the entire neonatal process and will stay with her until weaning. ViaGen will step in with additional bottle feedings if they see that a kitten is needing additional calories.
Is the kitten with the surrogate through the entire process, alone at a certain point/age, etc.?
The kitten is with the surrogate mother the majority of the time. ViaGen does separate the kitten from her about a week before going home so she will have a few days to adjust to being on her own before the big trip home. They also do individualized socialization exercises with the kittens as they get older.
Belle Specifics
How is their temperament in comparison?
Their temperament is quite similar. They’re both bold, calm cats, which rings true to the Ragdoll breed in general.
Have you noticed any similarities in personality yet?
Chai was sick for the first three months I had her. She hid under my bed, quarantined from my other cat, had medicine shoved into every orifice of her body, and I truly believe her personality was shaped from those early experiences. She was reserved and standoffish and really just wanted to be around me. Belle was raised with a silver spoon, so she’s energetic, curious, outgoing, and all the things Chai, perhaps, could have been if she’d felt better, and I’d been able to socialize her. They are both bitchy, sassy cats, though, who rule the house, love car rides, and don’t prefer much affection from strangers, and as Belle has been getting older, more and more similarities have been showing up.
Do they look the same?
Because Chai was sick for the first three months of her life, I didn’t take many photos or videos of her. She looked awful. So I don’t have much to compare her by. On top of that, Chai didn’t have proper neonatal nutrition and health, so her coat wasn’t as healthy, her weight was much lower, etc. As Belle has gotten older, they are evening out now, though. Check out the photos page for side-bys! They do have different markings!
Why doesn’t she look the same as a kitten?
Nutrition, health, and environment play a large role in development. Belle had superior nutrition. Chai was sick for at least the first six months of her life and came from a terrible breeder that likely didn’t offer the same level of care. All of the above effects coat quality and length, weight, and more. The older Belle gets, the more and more she’s starting to resemble Chai. I also don’t have many photos or videos of Chai until starting around 18 weeks to compare to.
Why did you replace your original cat? Isn’t that disrespectful?
Cloning is only replacement if the owner treats it as such. To me, Belle is not an extension of Chai’s life. She’s her own cat, and much like acquiring a new cat anywhere else, the logic applies the same. I just wanted to carry on a piece of her, not bring her back to life, and in that way, I’m honoring the memory of my late cat. It’s Chai’s legacy in the flesh. I’m not dropping all memories of Chai and starting where she left off; I’m forming new memories and experiences with Belle while remembering and honoring the experiences I had with Chai, as well.
Common Questions
How much did it cost?
When I signed my contract in 2017, cloning a cat was $25,000. The price has now increased to $50,000.
Where did you clone her?
I worked with ViaGen Pets, the only cloning facility that commercially clones pets in the United States. Their headquarters are less than an hour away from me in Cedar Park, believe it or not!
What genetic material did they need to clone her?
They retrieved live skin tissue samples from her. The most common thing I hear people say is, “I wish I would have thought to do this when my pet passed,” and all I can say is that you have options. I almost didn’t because they froze her overnight at the vet, which had started killing off viable cells. You can get started without major commitment by going through with the genetic preservation process while your pet is still alive. It’s noninvasive and you can just store DNA until you’re ready or not. I’ve done it with my service dog.
What is the point of a clone if the animal looks the same but has a different personality? Wouldn’t it be cheaper getting another cat of the same color/markings?
I never wanted to bring Chai back to life. Everyone grieves differently, and this was just my coping mechanism. For me, even getting another Ragdoll was out of the question. Even if it was a different color, it would have hurt too much. I just wanted to carry on a piece of her since she was taken from me so young.
How long did it take to get Chai 2.0?
Very close to four years. Chai died in March 2017. I was waitlisted for cloning until October 2017, and Belle was born August 20, 2021, 18 days after Chai’s birthday and two months away from the four year mark of the start of cloning. The cloning process doesn’t typically take quite so long, but it made her arrival all the more special.
How do you know it’s actually her clone and they didn’t just find a lookalike?
One of the first things they sent me was a Genetic Marker report from UC Davis. She’s legit.
I can’t believe people can actually clone their pets next thing you know they will be cloning their babies too.
They really aren’t comparable things at all and a way different and major ethical debate. ViaGen is actually already cloning and saving endangered species, which a lot of the funds from pet cloning help. It’s pretty wild stuff!