World's first cloned cat has kittens

[Pembroke_Corgi]

The successful reproduction from a clone proves that there was no genetic damage to the cat when they cloned her.

Yes, exactly.

I think cloning is a wonderful area of research...we are already benefiting from genetically modified foods. The hope is that one day, we can clone tissues and organs to save lives and provide transplants to people who need them. I think this page is a good resource about cloning: Cloning fact sheet

[Argranade]

Know what,

I'm sick and tired of this so all I'm going to say is,

The kittens are so cute & the humans are nuts once again,

Cross breeding, cloning ect .. people just keep doing it and I'm tired of telling and thinking it's wrong because no matter what it will keep happening unless God grabs those weird people and sticks them on planet ''No Brains'' forever .. and of course NO animals would be on that planet for them to hunt or study on.

[#1Wolflover]

Yes, exactly.

I think cloning is a wonderful area of research...we are already benefiting from genetically modified foods. The hope is that one day, we can clone tissues and organs to save lives and provide transplants to people who need them. I think this page is a good resource about cloning: Cloning fact sheet

yeah bones and tissues are body parts, why clone an animal though whats that gonna save? instead it will allow animals in sheltors to be put down because everyone wants theres cloned after it dies.

[Lady's Human]

It was a scientific experiment, not "Hey, let's clone a cat for the hell of it!"

Cloning research could lead to growing individual organs, etc. for people who need transplants This has nothing to do with producing pets, it is for research.

Dolly was a first, and there were problems that they discovered after they cloned her which advanced the science. Successful reproduction, however is a sign that other issues aside, it was a success. (they cloned a 6 year old sheep, and surprise!, they got a lamb with 6 year old genes)

[Twisterdog]

It was a scientific experiment, not "Hey, let's clone a cat for the hell of it!"

Cloning research could lead to growing individual organs, etc. for people who need transplants This has nothing to do with producing pets, it is for research.

Dolly was a first, and there were problems that they discovered after they cloned her which advanced the science. Successful reproduction, however is a sign that other issues aside, it was a success. (they cloned a 6 year old sheep, and surprise!, they got a lamb with 6 year old genes)

Agreed.

The scientists are going to keep these kittens for their natural life and monitor their health very closely. I can assure they will not be sold to the general public, just to make a profit. Scientific research and advances take time, trial and error. Of course Dolly the sheep had problems ... it was the first attempt. I doubt the first attempt at a motorized vehicle ran like a Corvette.

There are certainly potential moral and ethical problems with cloning. Just as there are moral and ethical potentially present in EVERY new discovery and advance. I personally think that cloning has the potential to eliminate so many diseases and so much suffering in the world, that it is certainly worth pursuing. If your parent or your child or your spouse or you had terminal cancer or another fatal disease, and the only hope of survival was a cloned liver or heart or bladder, would you not want it to be available?

With all the backyard breeders, unaltered strays, puppy mills, etc. in the world ... one cloned cats' kittens, which will be cared for and monitored their entire lives, is not even a single water molecule on the very tip of the iceberg.

[smokey the elder]

These kittens are much too valuable to be pets! They will probably be the best cared for cats on the planet. Cloning is highly charged ethically for good reason. It's one of those extreme forms of technology (think nuclear power!) that can be used for great good or evil. Human beings have to use their heads about this stuff.

[Vela]

If your parent or your child or your spouse or you had terminal cancer or another fatal disease, and the only hope of survival was a cloned liver or heart or bladder, would you not want it to be available?

That depends, would the organ be cloned inside a clone of that ill person, or cloned in and of itself without life being created to sustain it? IF said part came from a clone of a person, such as a whole cloned person, then my answer is no, I wouldn't want it, because I don't beleive we have the right to create a whole life and snuff it out for our own selfish needs. IF the parts could be cloned individually, without creating a whole other life to sustain it, then I wouldn't have an issue with using it.

[Twisterdog]

That depends, would the organ be cloned inside a clone of that ill person, or cloned in and of itself without life being created to sustain it? IF said part came from a clone of a person, such as a whole cloned person, then my answer is no, I wouldn't want it, because I don't beleive we have the right to create a whole life and snuff it out for our own selfish needs. IF the parts could be cloned individually, without creating a whole other life to sustain it, then I wouldn't have an issue with using it.

I do not think that would EVER happen ... cloning a person then killing him/her to harvest an organ. I do not think that is something we will EVER have to worry about.

[wombat2u2004]

Makes one think that a movie like "Blade Runner" could end up a true story !!!!

[Vela]

I do not think that would EVER happen ... cloning a person then killing him/her to harvest an organ. I do not think that is something we will EVER have to worry about.

Never say never. You just never know. I would also like to think that wouldn't happen, but I'm not going to go so far as to say it isn't possible people decide to do it. There have been many people throughout history who would very well do such as thing as that, so I don't have any trouble thiking there woulnd't be others out there that would/could/will do it too. Hopefully not, but I would have to say if someone did it wouldn't surprise me in the least. People kill others every day with abortions, which happens to be perfectly legal, with partial birth abortions performed after 20 weeks (5+ months pregnant), where they birth everything but the head, so they can't say it's "alive", then stab scissors into the baby's brain to kill it and suck out it's brain with a suction catheter. Yes it's morbid and disgusting, but lots of people seem just fine with doing that. Four more inches of birth for that baby and it would be consdiered murder in any state...some of those babies they do it to are 6 months and OLDER in the womb, and could and most often WOULD live outside the womb. There are so many things wrong with that that it is easily possible for me to see them doing such to harvest organs. If people are capable of doing partial birth abortions, because someone was irresponsible and now doesn't want a baby, then they are capable of almost anything.

[cuterat]

I believe that they are doing it with good intentions. I mean, I heard they are hoping to clone cows/pigs/ets. instead of breeding them to slaughter for meat.

But they SHOULD use it to bring animals back from the point of extinction, tigers, anyone?

Once they work out the 6 year old gene thing.

[Cataholic]

If your parent or your child or your spouse or you had terminal cancer or another fatal disease, and the only hope of survival was a cloned liver or heart or bladder, would you not want it to be available?

Yes. Yes. Yes. To think of all the suffering we could stop in this world.

[molucass]

(they cloned a 6 year old sheep, and surprise!, they got a lamb with 6 year old genes)

So what you are saying is, that genetically the lamb was 12 years old, since she was put to sleep when she was 6 years old?

Well then, if thats what you are saying.. There's no wonder she was having those problems at "such a young age". When most don't show it until they are 10 years.

[Giselle]

So what you are saying is, that genetically the lamb was 12 years old, since she was put to sleep when she was 6 years old?

Well then, if thats what you are saying.. There's no wonder she was having those problems at "such a young age". When most don't show it until they are 10 years.

Nope. It's not that simple at all. When Dolly was 2 years, the telomeres (caps that stabilize cells and diminish with age) in some of her cells were comparable to that of a 6 year old, the age of her donor. But if you think about it like 6+2, I guess that would "work" to a certain extent. Still, 8 years is far from the average 10 years.

Indeed, cloning has come a long way, but a seemingly simple process is still turning out to be filled with obstacles and barriers. IMO, the most foolproof way to tell the genetic health is to wait for it to die and check out its longevity/health. =/