Lack of business has forced a northern California-based biotechnology company that developed and sold cloned cats to close.
Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc., headquartered in Sausalito, Calif., sent letters to its customers in September stating that it will close at the end of 2006 because of small demand for its services.
The company opened in 2000 and launched a pet cloning service four years later. It produced its first cloned cat in November of 2004. However, the company charged $50,000 per animal. The price was later reduced to $32,000.
Since opening, the company was behind the creation of either five or six cloned cats, according to various reports, yet sold only two to paying customers, reportedly.
When contacted by CatChannel.com, Genetic Savings said it was no longer giving interviews.
In a recorded phone message at the company’s headquarters, the company is referring potential customers to ViaGen, an agency that, until now, has focused on bovine and equine cloning.
It is unclear if Genetic Savings has orders to produce any cloned cats before the end of the year, or if it would be able to fulfill them.