Can’t bear to say goodbye to your pet? Biotech’s got you covered.
I don’t remember much about Peppy, my first and only pet cat. I can conjure the sensation of stroking her while she purred, recall how she used to get stuck in trees (just like in cartoons!), and chuckle about the time she pooed in my baby sister’s cot.
Losing a pet can be deeply painful, especially in childhood, as it may be a person’s first experience with death. The author shares their own childhood loss of a cat named Peppy, which left a lasting emotional impact. Unlike human losses, pet grief often lacks societal rituals, leading to what experts call disenfranchised grief—feelings of loss that are not widely acknowledged or supported. This can make the grieving process feel isolating. Some people turn to biotechnology to cope with such losses, exploring options like drugs, cloning, or cryonics to extend or recreate their pet’s life, though these choices remain controversial.
A growing number of biotech companies are developing drugs to extend pets’ lives by targeting aging and age-related diseases. For example, Loyal, a company based in the US, is testing three potential longevity drugs for dogs, including one designed to improve metabolic health in around 1,300 pet dogs across the country. Other drugs aim to combat conditions like obesity and osteoarthritis, as well as slow the aging process itself. Similar efforts are underway for cats. These treatments represent a market-driven approach to pet care, where companies see an opportunity to address the emotional and financial value people place on their pets’ longevity.
Cloning is a biotechnology option for pet owners seeking a genetic twin of their deceased pet. The process involves extracting DNA from the pet, inserting it into an egg cell from another animal of the same species, and implanting the embryo into a surrogate. This method has successfully produced cloned mammals like Dolly the sheep, cattle, horses, and ferrets, and is now available for cats and dogs in the US. Viagen Pets, a company offering this service, charges $50,000 per clone. While the cloned pet is not an exact replica, it shares the same genes. Some, like Lori Kogan, a professor at Colorado State University, argue that cloning can help owners cope with loss, but others question whether it undermines the natural process of grieving.
Cryonics is another extreme option for pet owners, involving the freezing of a deceased pet at extremely low temperatures in the hope of future revival. Companies like Alcor in Arizona store hundreds of pets and humans in this way, including a recent addition of a sugar glider. The idea is that future technologies might one day cure the pet’s cause of death and revive it. However, experts acknowledge that the chances of successful reanimation are effectively zero with current science. Despite this, cryonics persists as a niche service, appealing to those who cannot accept the finality of death.
The rise of pet biotechnology raises ethical questions about whether these technologies are beneficial or exploitative. While some see cloning or cryonics as ways to ease grief, others argue that they may prevent owners from fully processing their loss. The author, for instance, believes that childhood experiences with pet loss can be formative and that technologies like cloning might send the wrong message about the irreversibility of death. Experts like Lori Kogan suggest that the decision to use these technologies is deeply personal and should be respected, as there are no universally agreed-upon ethical guidelines for pet preservation.
