Yesterday we talked about cloning our pets. I think we’ve all had wonderful cats with maybe a few not so wonderful habits or idiosyncrasies, quirks, behaviors. I wonder if science will reach the point where they can isolate the beautiful qualities of our two or three favorite cats while culling out the less favorable aspects of them and create an even more purrfect cat.
Can you go back and fetch memories of your favorite cats and imagine your ideal companion cat? What would she look like? What sort of personality would she have? Would she come with certain endearing qualities or habits? Certainly, she would be healthy to the end of her life.
I guess with this experiment, we’d discover what aspects of our cats is in their DNA and which are learned or conditioning.
This morning, I explored the controversy within the cloning issue. Some call this practice an abomination. Evidently, you don’t actually get your pet back in the cloning process, but simply a twin that looks like your cat or dog–it is not the same animal with the same traits. Too much depends on the pet’s environment, experiences, and particular way of viewing and reacting to things. Some say many of the cloned animals have suffered faulty immune systems and many have died prematurely. Evidently, you’re taking quite a risk to the tune of $25,000 to $50,000.
Would I clone one of my cats? Well, as much as I have loved and still miss some of the cats I’ve had in my life, I doubt I’d ever try to clone any of them. There are just too many cats still being irresponsibly produced and too few people stepping up to care for them. I’d continue to rescue.
We have two cats now that Max has passed over the rainbow bridge. Sophie turned 12 
yesterday. We took over her care after she was plucked from the streets and spayed by a caring veterinarian. Rather than return her to the streets, the vet saw potential for Sophie to become a pet and we stood at the head of the line to rescue this tortie. Today, Sophie is a well-loved part of the family with seemingly no regrets and no desire to step foot outside ever again.
Happy birthday, Sophie.
