Copy cat: Chinese firm creates first cloned kitten

Seven months after Huang Yu's pet cat Garlic died, the British shorthair was given a 10th life.

Born on July 21, the new Garlic was created by Chinese firm Sinogene, becoming the Beijing-based company's first successfully copied cat.

Garlic is the Beijing-based company's first successfully copied cat.

The pet-cloning outfit has made more than 40 pet dogs -- a procedure that costs a hefty 380,000 yuan ($53,000), while the price for a cat comes in at 250,000 yuan ($35,000).

Mi Jidong, the company's chief executive officer, told AFP that despite the high price tag, not all clients were high earners.

The similarity between two cats is more than 90 percent.

"In fact, a large proportion of customers are young people who have only graduated in the last few years," he said.

"Whatever the origin of pets, owners will see them as part of the family. Pet cloning meets the emotional needs of young generations."

Huang, 23, was overjoyed on first seeing Garlic's second incarnation, saying the "similarity between the two cats is more than 90 percent".

To clone a dog costs a hefty 380,000 yuan (53,000 USD) and 250,000 yuan (35,000 USD) for a cat.

"When Garlic died, I was very sad," said Huang. "I couldn't face the facts because it was a sudden death. I blame myself for not taking him to the hospital in time, which led to his death."

The happy owner says he hopes the personality of the new Garlic is as similar to his old white-and-grey cat as its appearance.

With a growing pet market in China, and a huge appetite among their owners for spending, Mi thinks the market for pet cloning is also set to rocket.

Agence France-Presse