Grumpy Cat
The famously dour-looking internet sensation Grumpy Cat has passed away, according to obituaries by CNN and the New York Times.
We could mourn the feline and move on to the next weird internet animal. Or we could embrace the latest in genetic technology and clone her — like iconic singer Barbra Streisand famously did with her dog.
From Beyond
There's no question that we have the technology to clone Grumpy Cat. Several biotech companies offer cat-cloning services, which reportedly costs about $25,000.
The demand is there, too. People online have been clamoring for a Grumpy Cat clone since at least 2014, when someone on Quora suggested duplicating the puss so that "everyone could own one."
But is that the legacy we'd want for Grumpy Cat, who reportedly had a sweet personality that clashed with her perpetually ticked-off facial expression?
Pet Sematary
The ethics are dicey at best.
The celebrity mouser, who expired at the young age of seven, had feline dwarfism — a condition the Grumpy Cat replicas would presumably inherit.
Cloned pets are also likely to suffer birth defects and illnesses, according to one veterinarian. They can also look different from the original animal and have unique personalities.
Perhaps instead of copying — and maybe monetizing — Grumpy Cat's DNA in perpetuity, we should let her rest in peace.
READ MORE: Grumpy Cat, Internet Celebrity With a Piercing Look of Contempt, Is Dead at 7 [The New York Times]
More on cloning: Scientists Just Came Closer Than Ever to Cloning a Woolly Mammoth
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