'Absolutely worth it': Meet the B.C. woman who paid $50,000 to clone her dead cat
Kris Stewart has her hands full with two rambunctious, 10-week-old kittens.
“They’re very aggressive, sassy, bold kittens, and that’s exactly what Bear was like,” said Stewart from her home in Kelowna.
Bear was Stewart’s beloved ragdoll cat, who was killed two years ago.
“Bear died in a car versus cat situation. Bear was street-wise until the moment he wasn’t street-wise. So that was very sad,” said Stewart, who blamed herself for letting Bear outside.
“I knew I wanted to clone him, because I tried cloning one of my dogs about three or four years prior to that, and I still had the instructions for how to send the cell samples down to Viagen in Texas.”
Viagen is a U.S. company that clones cats and dogs. A video on its YouTube channel explains it takes cells from a pet that an owner wants cloned, and inserts them into the nucleus of a female animal’s egg. In what it calls a “patented process,” the egg and cell join together and an embryo starts to grow. The embryos are then transferred to a surrogate mother, who will give birth to the cloned puppies or kittens.
“It took five embryo transfers before a successful pregnancy was achieved,” said Stewart. “So I knew kittens were born when Viagen called me in late January to tell me the embryo transfer they did in November resulted in kittens being born January the 10th.”
Last week, she flew to New York, where Viagen presented her with two identical kittens created at its breeding facility, who are both genetic clones of Bear.
“I can’t tell them apart,” Stewart said. “Personality wise, I would have to say they’re both, at this point, identical to Bear. Because they make some very brazen decisions, they have a bit of a swagger, just like Bear did.”
While the decision to clone Bear was primarily an emotional one, Stewart said she is "a bit of a science geek."
"This interests me from a science perspective too, the fact that this can actually be done," she said.
The business owner says she is is telling her story so other Canadians know this option exists.
“I would suggest to pet owners if you have a cherished pet that you strongly consider getting your pet’s cells preserved,” said Stewart, who added the cells can be taken while the pet is still alive or right after death, but those cells need to be sent away to be cryogenically frozen immediately.
Pet owners who decide to proceed with the cloning need deep pockets. The cost to create the kittens Stewart has named Bear Bear and Honey Bear? Around C$50,000.
“Was it worth it? Absolutely worth it,” she said. “I am so relieved the waiting is over with, so relieved to have two little gaffers that look just like Bear. So I am pretty happy with the end results.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.