Step into the enthralling world of Maine Coons, where the concept of cloning unfolds in both scientific precision and colloquial charm. Scientific cloning involves the meticulous recreation of DNA, a process explored at the cellular level. Distinguishing this from the colloquial use of the term, our journey navigates the complexities of the cloning process, unraveling genetic structures.
Also The endearing term “clones” in Maine Coon history affectionately describes descendants sharing remarkable physical similarities, tracing back to two extraordinary cats, Polly and Sonkey.
As we explore the scientific and colloquial facets, ethical considerations emerge, prompting reflections on the morality and legality of cloning your Maine Coon. Join me in this expedition through genetics, history, and morality, carefully differentiating between the scientific pursuit of cloning and the endearing term embraced by feline enthusiasts.
Contents
What is Cloning?
Cloning is the recreation of the DNA of a living thing. It is produced on a cellular level. Structurally, the recreated individual has the same molecular and cellular structures but outside it may or may not look identical to the original. The cloning process produces similar or identical physical traits as the original.
However, the personality, mental capabilities, and memories of the original are not transferred to the clone. The cloned animal is a separate copy. It is a different entity entirely compared to the original.
How Does Cloning Work?
Scientists take the nucleus from a somatic cell taken from the original animal or donor. They will remove the nucleus from an egg cell then fuse it with the somatic cell. Then they turn this into an embryo which is then placed inside the womb of a surrogate mother. This will complete its growth process until birth. Clones are like identical twins of the original. It won’t have the same character and personality though. Its personality will be shaped by how it has been reared after birth.
“THE CLONES” – Maine Coon ‘Clone’ And ‘Clone’ Percentage
Did you know that your Maine Coon is most probably a ‘clone’? Don’t be confused. In this context, we don’t mean a literal clone. When it comes to Maine Coons, ‘clones’ just mean they are descendants of two unique Maine Coon cats named Polly and Sonkey.
These cats were bred and resulted in kittens that looked so much like each other except for the fur colors. Because of how alike they were, they were more popularly called the “clones” by the public. However, that doesn’t mean they underwent the cloning process. They were simply called ‘clones’ because they looked identical. This Maine Coon breeding continued to happen and every time, the kittens looked so similar to each other. The two Maine Coons produced 17 ‘clones’.
The 17 clones were subjected to a breeding program that resulted in the Top 5 Foundation Cats of the Maine Coon breed. These five foundation cats are the most common ancestors of the Maine Coon pedigree. They are Andy Katt (32%), Bridget Katt (32%), Dauphin de France (15.6%), Tatiana (7.8%), and Smokie Joe (3.52%).
The percentage mentioned is a measure of how much influence they have on the DNA of the succeeding generations. As they had more kittens, their descendants were also bred with other Maine Coons. It is believed that 35% of every Maine Coon family tree goes back to these special ‘clones’.
Inbreeding is a cause of concern for most species as this results in poor health and a lot of medical complications. A Swedish breeder named Malin Sundqvist did research in the PawPeds database to see whether the clone percentage has gone down. Unfortunately, in 2018, the average clone percentage of all Maine Coons registered in the PawPeds database had an average of 34% probability in relation to the ‘clones’.
In the 80’s, there were other non-related Maine Coons mixed with the breed. However, the clones were so in demand because of their impressive appearance that the breeders still added descendants of the clones to their breeding program. Having too many Maine Coons with the same ancestors can be a health problem for the Maine Coon Cat population. So breeders were encouraged to ensure that the main King and Queen of their breeding programs are not closely related or at least have a low percentage of ‘clones’ in their genes.
This is why selecting a good Cattery and Breeder is important since they look into this stuff to make sure that the resulting kittens are good purebreds with less probability of having health conditions later on.
Since we are on the subject of Cloning. Did you know that the first commercially produced cloned pet was a Maine Coon?
Genuinely Cloned Maine Coon Cat
The very first commercially produced clone of a pet was a Maine Coon named Little Nicky. He was created from the DNA of another Maine Coon called Nicky. Nicky was a 17-year-old Maine Coon who died at 17 years old in 2003 (born October 17,2004).
Julie was the owner of Nicky and she paid exactly $50,000 to have him cloned. This resulted in Little Nicky’s birth in 2004. She reported that Little Nicky exhibited many physical traits and characteristics as Nicky. Little Nicky is a different cat but it also has some similar personality tendencies to Nicky. She received Little Nicky when it was just an 8-week-old kitty clone.
Julie had been working in the airline industry at the time of Nicky’s death. She has read about the birth of CC, the first cloned cat. She decided she wanted to clone her cat too so she sent the genetic sample of her cat to Genetic Savings & Clone.
After a few months of experimentation, Little Nicky, the first commercially bought cloned cat was born on October 17, 2004. She could hardly believe it as Little Nicky looked identical to Nicky. They both had two spots inside the mouth. They also both enjoyed the water. This part can be explained quickly as most Maine Coons do love water. The identifying marks inside the mouth are identical though.
How Much Does Cloning Your Coon Companion Cost?
The cost of cloning a cat is $50,000 at ViaGen. People have even paid from $295 to $1,395 to store DNA from their pets until the cloning process becomes more affordable.
Currently, the most popular cloning facility is ViaGen in Texas. The cat cloning there costs $50,000, half of which is payable before the cloning process starts, and half after the successful cloning. They also offer DNA preservation.
Ethical Controversy
Cloning can help you have an identical or similar pet to your previous one. There are some groups and societies that are against cloning. Cloning is a process that produces rejects. One can only wonder what happens to the “rejects”. This results in the cloning’s ethical controversy. Also, there are a lot of cats that need rehoming and cloning may deprive these cats from being adopted. Some health issues are presumed to be caused by cloning.
There are also sparked debates from religious organizations that are saying that the act of cloning is similar to “Playing God”.
Currently, there are 15 American states that ban all types of reproductive cloning including animal and human cloning.
- New Jersey
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- California
- Iowa
- Virginia
- Florida
- Georgia
- South Dakota
- Maryland
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- North Dakota
3 states (Arizona, Maryland, and Missouri), also prohibit any use of public or government funds for cloning.
Should You Clone Your Furry Mainer?
Cloning is now possible. The main question is whether you should clone your Maine Coon. After looking at the ethical issues as well as the legal concerns, if you still want to clone your Maine Coon, that is entirely up to you.
There are some reasons you should take note though before you undergo the expensive process of cloning your cat.
It Won’t Be The Same Maine Coon
Cloning only mimics the physical traits of the original being cloned. It can be a good copy and it could also exhibit changes to the original. Similar to what happened to CC and Rainbow, fur color and patterns may not be similar.
Also, the personality, temperament, and mental capabilities of the original Maine Coon cannot be replicated and automatically assigned to the clone. Its personality is shaped by how it will be brought up. Personality also differs as the new cat is an individual even though it is supposed to be a “copy” of the original.
The mental capabilities and its capacity to remember commands are different depending on how the cat is going to be trained. Therefore, it’s like having a blank canvas and is similar to just buying a cat with a similar breed and similar markings and colors.
Little Nicky, the cloned Maine Coon was noted by its owner to be a lover of water similar to the original cat, Nicky. However, it is common knowledge that Maine Coons have a strong affinity to water and most Maine Coons love to dip and play around water, unlike other cat breeds.
Testing Process Will Produce “Rejects”
Since cloning is a trial and error process, there will be kittens marked as “rejects”. These are the kittens that showed birth defects and substandard quality. These kittens are not given a chance at life and are “eliminated” during the whole cloning process.
The cloning process also requires parent cats or surrogates. Surrogates risk their life and health by bringing up kittens. These surrogates are implanted with embryos multiple times. Note that not every trial is successful. Their babies or offspring are euthanized when there are deformities. They are euthanized themselves when they show they cannot handle the pregnancy and show signs of sickness or illnesses that may affect other cats.
In conclusion
Cloning has two different meanings in the Maine Coon World. Clones could mean that they are a part of the generations that came from the five foundation cats. Therefore, one must select a dependable Cattery or Professional Breeder when selecting a Maine Coon to add to the family. This is because the inbreeding done with the Foundation Maine Coon clones was so widespread that their genes are still found in the majority of the Maine Coons today. This inbreeding might result in health complications so it is important to know the generations and line of pedigree of your Maine Coon.
Clones could also mean the cats that underwent the scientific process called cloning. Cloning isn’t always a successful project. It isn’t a perfect process so there will be rejects. It will not bring your most loved and favorite back to life. It will only produce a similar cat to the one you had. It would be easier, less costly, and more moral to just adopt an entirely new cat so that you can keep the memory of the lost cat more special and unique.
If you are determined to have a similar-looking cat as the original cat, then cloning as an option is entirely up to you. You should also consider the cost of the process and how it is not always successful and will result in rejects. It should be noted too that cloned animals are not guaranteed to be identical to the original one because of X-inactivation.
