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Original poster

What would your feelings be about cloning a pet?

38 replies

earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:04

Is it ethical? Is it possible?

Just wanted to ask your advice, since Maxieboy's on his last legs. We got him from a rescue home, but this one brings the dogs to you to look at, rather that the heartbreaking looking round the pound. We chose him 'cos he came into the room, jumped straight on my lap and weed on me.

The children love him, I love him, even H loves him, and he's stopped digging up the garden now, mostly.

Is it ethical? Is it wrong? Is it right? Is it too dammned expensive?

I'd love your thoughts.

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 27/06/2006 12:05

Cloning a pet ?

Are you a mothercare newbie by any chance ?

MerlinsBeard · 27/06/2006 12:07

cloning a pet? as in making an exact copy u mean? Have u read pet semetary?!

Also, u would have a pet that looks the same but wouldn't be the same IYSWIM

(lol @mothercare newbie NDP)

Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:07

By the way, this was brought on by my 17 year old niece saying 'Clone him, for goodness sake!'

And of course the fact we love him to bits.

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 27/06/2006 12:08

The cloned creature (I doubt v much you can do it) would NOT be 'Maxieboy', would it ? It'd be some kind of sci-fi repro

expatinscotland · 27/06/2006 12:08

yuck! too 'pet semetary' for me, i'm afraid.

i would find it unethical, yeah. why are people SO afraid of death and letting go that they'd even consider such a thing?

actually, the death of a pet carries an invaluable lesson for children about grief, about letting go, about moving on how you can, that you can't always get what you want and that's not always a bad thing, etc.

death is not a big, bad, most horrible thing that can happen.

kids, people, REALLY need to learn this b/c it is a part of life.

let maxi go w/dignity, grieve, and maybe later his spirit will strengthen you enough to open your hearts and home to a fellow of his at the rescue centre and give him or her the same loving home he/she deserves.

Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:10

Oh, God, no I haven't, and I hope I don't get slated for this. I wasn't ever a 'pet' person, but he's so nice and I and the children love him.

Feel free to start off another 'Barking' topic

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expatinscotland · 27/06/2006 12:11

another importantly lesson: having death (not just as in the end of life but also in the end of the time people and animals have together, for various reasons) in our lives teaches us to value and appreciate the time we do have together even more.

Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:14

Thanks for all your replies.

Expat, as always, you've brought me to my senses. I will just miss the little bugger. He can't even get on the bus now.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 27/06/2006 12:17

you'll know when it's time. but honour his spirit by letting him go w/dignity, cherishing the memories you had together, and perhaps one day extending that same love, loyalty and companionship he showed you to another animal.

SparklyGothKat · 27/06/2006 12:19

do they clone pets????

FioFio · 27/06/2006 12:23

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AnnieQ · 27/06/2006 12:24

Well, they cloned Dolly the sheep so presumably the technology is there, if someone had the money to spend on it. But Dolly died prematurely, and had a number of problems that were caused by the cloning - would it be fair to do that to an animal?

Plus, there's the fact that the animal wouldn't necessarily have the same personality. It would look the same because that's what cloning does, but its spirit and personality would be completely different - so even if it were more than just a nice dream it wouldn't give earlgrey what she was looking for.

Moral and ethical arguments aside, my main problem with this would be the fact there are so many unwanted animals in this country who are desperate for loving homes. For me it would be wrong to deliberately create a pet when there are animals in rescue centres across the country who you could be giving a loving home to. Having a new pet doesn't diminish your love for the old one.

bundle · 27/06/2006 12:25

sigh

ScummyMummy · 27/06/2006 12:25

I don't know why but this thread has made me pmsl.

expatinscotland · 27/06/2006 12:27

HAMSTER EMERGENCY! Now there was a funny thread, Scummy .

FioFio · 27/06/2006 12:27

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Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:27

bundle, if that was meant to be something horrible about me, the page didn't work.

So there

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FioFio · 27/06/2006 12:28

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Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:31

Annie, we'd never get a new one. We'd always get it from a home. Just that this old thing is wonderful.

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Original poster
earlgrey · 27/06/2006 12:34

, bundle.

OP posts:
bundle · 27/06/2006 12:34

earlgrey, why would it be something horrible about you?

it was a link to a bbc story about korean scientists cloning a dog. i just think it's a whole heap of technology being used for a strange and sad reason. dolly was cloned with the idea in mind that such creations could be used
therapeutically eg to treat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, for use in treating patients with cystic fibrosis.

fio

AnnieQ · 27/06/2006 12:35

But don't you see? This old thing is wonderful but a clone wouldn't be this old thing, it would be a different animal that just looked like the dog you adore. Wouldn't you end up resenting that it looked like Maxie but didn't have the same personality and didn't do the same things?

Blu · 27/06/2006 12:38

My instant reposnse is:
One cat is more than enough.

ScummyMummy · 27/06/2006 12:40

Isn't Maxieboy a dog, blu? Trust you to seize any opportunity to do cats down. tut tut tut.

FioFio · 27/06/2006 12:41

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