CopyCat a pet-lover's dream

NEW YORK - Scientists in Texas have cloned a domestic cat in an experiment named, obviously perhaps, CopyCat.

The breakthrough apparently came some time last year at A&M University in Texas but a formal announcement is imminent.

The experiment is sponsored by 81-year-old John Sperling, a philanthropist with a passion for the science of cloning and a nose for a business opportunity in cloning pampered pets for wealthy Americans.

It has been an open secret that researchers at the university have been trying to replicate a domestic pet, but they may have been coy about their creation, named CC, because of uncertainty about its long-term health.

Work still has to be done on DNA analysis to ascertain that the animal is a perfect clone.

Mr Sperling has created a company, Genetic Savings and Clone, that could start marketing the new science if it proves safe and reliable.

No one would question that the market for pet cloning is there.

Hundreds of Americans have already paid large sums to put cells of their favourite pets into storage until pet cloning becomes available.

Mr Sperling first hoped to clone an ageing dog named Missy but scientists decided to try it with a cat first.

One of the cloning team's leaders, Dr Duane Kraemer, said cloning did not guarantee a carbon copy of a pet. CC's fur colouring, for instance, differs from that of her genetic donor.

"This is reproduction, not resurrection. They may not get exactly the same coat patterns or even personality."

- INDEPENDENT