I often have clients comment that it must be emotionally challenging to speak with people that have recently lost their furry family member or those that are preparing for that inevitable loss. Those clients are 100% correct because I do get emotionally involved. I empathize with our client’s grief, while also being reminded to give my own dogs some extra love since one day I will be forced to grieve their loss. I must remind myself that this is a journey, and one day, I will get to see the happiness that a cloned puppy or kitten brings to pet parents. Recently, I was fortunate enough to assist in a kitten delivery and experience that happiness in person.
Here is an update from Zine Jr. & Zinou’s owner on his cloning experience and how the kittens are adjusting to being home:
Original Zine
Zine Jr. & Zinou
I decided to clone my cat, Zine, because he was the love of my life. My parents made me wait to get a cat until they bought a house, which was 13 years. The wait was worth it as Zine taught me how to love, and he was the first I said “I love you” to. My favorite part of the cloning experience was the help I received from the ViaGen Pets team and how responsive they were to my questions. The hardest part was waiting for my kittens to be born. Cloning is worth it, but it is as stressful as doing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Zine Jr. and Zinou are similar to Zine in their attitude. Zine was the ruler of the house, and the kittens are working their way into that role. You will see in the photo below that Zine loved to be outside. The kittens are eager to follow suit, as they are very interested in sneaking out and exploring the backyard. The kittens are now about 4 months old, and they still like to nurse on their blanket. This was something that Zine did all his life, but instead of a blanket, he liked to nurse on my mother’s pajamas. I’ve started introducing a few of Zine’s favorite foods to see if the kittens like them as well. So far they have tried yogurt, cottage cheese, and lamb; and they love them all just as Zine did.
As the kittens grow, I imagine some differences may emerge. Right now, I’ve focused on looking for the similarities. One thing that is different is the spots on the fur. I anticipated this though, since the spots are developed during the pregnancy. Here are a few photos of Zine, and his cloned kittens – Zine Jr. & Zinou.
Zine lounging
Zine Jr. & Zinou @ 9 weeks
We look forward to hearing more about Zine Jr. & Zinou as they grow. It was such a privilege to play a small role in the Genetic Preservation, cloning, and delivery. If you have any questions about our cat cloning program or want to know how to begin the Genetic Preservation process for your cat, please call us at 888-876-6104 or reach out to us through our website at: https://viagenpets.com/request-information/.
By: Codi