Friday, September 17, 2004
Welcome to Freaky Friday!A California company which cloned the world's first cat nearly three years ago is starting to fill orders for cloned pets. Genetic Savings and Clone recently produced Bengal kittens Tabouli and Baba Ganoush. Now five customers are paying US$50,000 each for a clone of their cats, which should be ready by December. And several hundred clients are paying $150 a year plus an initial $900 to preserve tissue for future cloning. Critics say that the company is exposing animals to risks without any benefits. "The quest for immortality in ourselves and even in our pets opens the door to commercial interests who want to make a profit on it," says David Magnus, a Stanford bioethicist. However, the company is offering customers their money back or a new clone if their cloned pet has any defects.
