Kelowna woman begins cloning process for beloved cat

Photo: Kris Stewart

A Kelowna woman says she is missing her beloved pet so much that she has decided to bring it back to life.

Kris Stewart, owner and clinical director of Advanced Home Care Solutions in Kelowna, says this is actually the second time she has tried to bring back a beloved pet.

"My cocker spaniel passed away and I tried the cloning process at that time, but the cells weren't viable."

Stewart says she's better prepared to clone her cat 'Bear,' and after it died she immediately took the cat to the vet so she could get the proper DNA samples.

"Believe it or not, the vet told me that wasn't something they learned in veterinary school. So I had to find a vet who would help me."

After freezing the cat, she managed to collect and preserve the necessary DNA. Stewart says she is working with Texas-based cloning company Viagen and the initial cost to begin the process starts at just over $17,000 USD. The complete process can cost $35,000 USD.

"To me it's worth it," Stewart says she has a busy life and she misses 'Bears' big personality.

"He had two microchips so every night I used to have to go looking for him," Stewart says he was well-loved in her neighbourhood and she hopes bringing him back will help fill the hole his passing has left.

"It's a bit eerie," but Stewart says she made her decision after meeting an animal that was already cloned.

"The company put me in touch with a man in Vancouver who had gone through the process already. We were sitting at the table watching a video of 1.0 when 2.0 started doing the exact same thing."

Stewart says she wanted to share her story because she knows many people miss their dearly departed pets and this process isn't widely known.

Photo: Kris Stewart