When Kelly Anderson lost her five-year-old ragdoll cat, Chai, in 2017, she turned to cloning in the hope of preserving part of the companion she considered her “soulmate pet”.
The procedure eventually produced Belle, a cat genetically identical to Chai. Yet while the two share aspects of their temperament, Belle’s behaviour has developed differently, reflecting a central finding of emerging research: cloning can reproduce DNA, but it cannot recreate a life.
A costly attempt to preserve a beloved pet
Anderson began researching cloning immediately after Chai’s unexpected death. At the time, the procedure cost around $25,000, which she financed through a personal loan. Comparable services now cost approximately $50,000.
A veterinary clinic transferred a sample of Chai’s DNA after preserving the cat’s body overnight. The cloning process took four years, possibly because the genetic material had deteriorated after freezing, and Anderson finally received Belle in 2021.
Although still a niche practice, pet cloning has attracted increasing attention. Paris Hilton, Barbra Streisand and Tom Brady are among the high-profile owners reported to have cloned companion animals.
Scientists caution, however, that cloning does not restore the original animal. It creates another individual with the same genetic material, comparable to an identical twin born years later.
How pet cloning works
The procedure involves collecting viable eggs and replacing their genetic material with DNA from the animal being cloned. The resulting embryos are then implanted into surrogate animals after hormonal treatment.
Success is not guaranteed. Many embryos fail to implant, pregnancies may end in miscarriage and some offspring are born with abnormalities or do not survive.
A 2022 study recorded a success rate of no more than 16 per cent, although at least one commercial company claims a rate of 80 per cent.
James Serpell, professor emeritus of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania, said the process is not generally considered dangerous for surrogates, but is likely to be physically unpleasant.
He also questioned claims that cloning can recreate a deceased companion. DNA may be identical, he explained, but the way it is expressed changes through development, socialisation and individual experience.
Genetics influence some traits more than others
Research into the personalities of cloned animals remains limited. No study has yet directly compared the behaviour of cloned cats with that of the original animals from which they were produced.
Existing evidence suggests that broad traits such as activity, sociability and general temperament may be relatively consistent among clones. Characteristics linked more closely to learning, social exposure and changing environments appear less predictable.
A 2025 study involving cloned miniature pigs found that activity levels remained fairly similar within groups of clones, while boldness varied more widely.
Study co-author Adam Reddon, of Liverpool John Moores University, said personality develops through an interaction between genetics and experience. The findings indicate that certain behaviours may have a stronger genetic component, but DNA is only one part of the process.
Research involving cloned puppies has produced similar conclusions. A 2017 study found that cloned dogs maintained more stable temperaments over time than non-cloned animals, particularly in their reactions to people, training, stress and fear.
However, even where the clones showed comparable levels of fear, they did not necessarily express that fear in the same way. Differences also emerged in curiosity and other behaviours shaped by learning and social circumstances.
Separate research has shown that a dog’s experiences during its first year can have a lasting effect on its temperament.
Belle and Chai developed differently
Anderson had already suspected that Belle would not behave exactly like Chai.
Chai had been seriously ill as a kitten and spent several months isolated from other animals and people. Anderson believes that early experience contributed to the cat’s cautious nature and strong attachment to her.
Belle experienced a markedly different upbringing. Soon after arriving, she was taken into public settings and later regularly accompanied Anderson to social venues.
Anderson describes both cats as bold and assertive, suggesting that they share a similar underlying temperament. Belle, however, is considerably more sociable, outgoing and independent.
The contrast illustrates how similar genetic tendencies can produce different personalities when animals are raised under different conditions.
A clone is a new animal
For owners seeking a companion that resembles a pet they have lost, cloning may not offer the closest behavioural match. Researchers suggest that finding another animal with an already established appearance and temperament could potentially produce a more similar companion at a fraction of the cost.
Reddon said shared genetics may create certain predispositions, but cannot account for the full range of an animal’s personality.
Anderson reached the same conclusion after living with Belle. The four-year wait allowed her to grieve Chai and eventually accept the cloned kitten as a separate individual.
Pet owners considering the procedure, she said, must understand that cloning is not reincarnation. The result is a genetically identical animal beginning an entirely new life.
Source: National Geographic.
