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With so many cats destroyed in
shelters every day, why add to the feline
population through cloning? In the USA, 5 to 7
million unwanted cats and dogs are destroyed at
animal shelters each year. Although the clone will
be wanted, it potentially denies another cat a
home. In addition, several egg cells may be
implanted into a surrogate mother (in case some do
not develop) so what happens if the surrogate
mother gives birth to two, three or even more
clones? Will the owner of the biological parent
want all of the kittens?
The clone will simply not be the same animal as
the original. A cat's personality is shaped by a
combination of nature (genetics) and nurture
(environment). The clone may be physically
identical and inherit a similar temperament (e.g.
the laid back temperament of Ragdolls), but it
will not have an identical personality. The owner
will also be 10-15 years older and will have
changed - personality traits which were endearing
when the owner was single might be a nuisance in a
busy household. The clone itself would be forever
living in the shadow of the original without
getting a chance to be itself and maybe failing to
live up to the owner's expectations.
In Feb 2001 the results of the Human Genome
project showed that humans have far fewer genes
than previously thought - a mere 30,000 - 40,000
rather than 150,000. There simply aren't enough
genes to have one each for all the characteristics
that have been associated with them e.g.
personality traits. This will be equally true for
other animals, such as cats, and it indicates that
nurture is a far more important force than
previously believed. Genes provide the potential
for certain traits, but environment determines
whether or not those traits will be expressed.
Using a simple analogy: a person with the aptitude
for being a gifted pianist will never achieve this
if theyti never see or use a piano. The vital role
of nurture is an especially important
consideration where an owner wants to "bring
back" a cat they adopted as an adult without
knowing much about its formative years. The
different nurture received by the clone means that
the clone will grow up to be a far different
individual to the original pet.
Very few people value their cat purely for its
appearance. They value its personality, something
which has developed over the cat's lifetime. The
clone will not inherit the original cat's memories
and since the original cat's cute antics were
learned, not inherited, the clone will act in a
different way as it lays down its own memories.
Personality and behavior are not the product of a
few genes, they are also the product of a
lifetime's experience which cannot be inherited.
The owner could be seriously disappointed that the
clone does not match their memories of a previous
pet.
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