Little Nicky (born c. October 20, 2004) is a cloned cat, believed to be the first example of successful feline cloning for commercial reasons. He was produced from the DNA of a 17-year-old cat, also named Nicky, who died in 2003. His owner, a north Texas woman named Julie (her last name was not released), claimed that his personality is similar to that of the elder Nicky, including an unusual liking for water.
The cloning operation was performed by the California-based company, Genetic Savings and Clone. Presently, they have four more orders for feline cloning, as well as one for a dog. Cloned cats sell for US$50,000, and the company anticipates being able to charge higher prices for dogs.
The Humane Society and other animal welfare groups have denounced the cloning, saying that the $50,000 could have been better used to save some of the millions of pets destroyed each year.
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