At just seven months old, 23-year-old Huang Yu’s kitten died.
But just yesterday, the British shorthair was given another life – courtesy of Chinese cloning firm Sinogene. It marks the first time a cat has been cloned.
Previously, the company has produced more than 40 pet dogs – a procedure that costs around US$53,000. Fortunately for cat lovers, kittens only cost US$35,000 to re-create.
Sinogene CEO Mi Jidong said that while the prices look expensive, many of the company’s clients are not higher earners at all. “In fact, a large proportion of customers are young people who have only graduated in the last few years,” he said.
“Whatever the origin of pets, owners will see them as part of the family. Pet cloning meets the emotional needs of young generations.”
Huang Yu was overjoyed when being re-introduced to Garlic the kitten. “When Garlic died, I was very sad,” said Huang.
“I couldn’t face the facts because it was a sudden death. I blame myself for not taking him to the hospital in time, which led to his death.”
Yu says he hopes the new cat has the same personality of Garlic.
