Texas woman first to buy cloned cat
California company sells first cloned cat, generating ethics debate
When Makis died almost 5 years ago, I briefly wondered…”What if…?” What if I could have him cloned? What if I could recreate what I had just lost? At that time, of course, the technology was not available. Even it had been, the cost would have been prohibitive. Still, I had to at least consider the ramifications of the question. In the end, I decided that life has a defined span for a reason. What exactly is that reason? Well, I’ll leave the resolution of that questions to intellects more nimble than my own. Suffice it to say that it just didn’t feel right to mess with the natural order of things.
A woman in Dallas apparently has decided that she has no such moral reservations, and she paid $50,000 to make history by cloning her late feline companion.
I can understand the reasons why one might want to take this step, and I am certainly not going to condemn someone for doing so, but I do not think I could take this step myself. To my way of thinking, cloning a cat may not violate the letter of natural law, but it certainly runs counter to the spirit of it.
An almost bigger question is that of the $50,000. Does it not seem rather self-indulgent to spend that kind of money on assuaging your pain when there are so many more “productive” uses available for that money? “Productive” is, of course, a highly subjective term. Nonetheless, the question is legitimate. To me, it IS self-indulgent. Don’t get me wrong, I adore cats. Our world would be a much poorer place without them. I just don’t know that spending $50,000 to recreate a deceased pet could be defined as good stewardship.
There is also another valid question that should be asked. By recreating what you have lost, are you denying yourself something new? Not that the pain of losing a pet should be minimized. Lord knows I’ve suffered my share of pain in this regard. Still, suffering is part of life. In “recreating” a lost pet, are we denying ourselves an opportunity to learn and grow with another feline companion?
And here’s another thing to consider: thousands of unwanted cats are euthanized every single day. Rather than spending an absurd amount of money to recreate a deceased cat, why not go to a shelter and find a friend to bring home? It will cost you significantly less money, and who knows? You might just find a new companion.
Life is not about replacing those we lose. It’s about respecting their memory and moving on with our own lives. That is the natural order of things. Death is an immutable reality. Cloning a deceased pet may seem desirable while one is in the throes of grief, but it will only provide you with a genetic copy. There is no guarantee that the traits that made your lost companion truly unique will be duplicated in the clone.
You do have to admit, thought, that Little Nicky is one desperately cute cat….
