People Attack Cat Mom Who Decided To Teach People About Cloning After She Cloned Her Dead Kitten
Kelly Anderson thought cloning her kitten would help keep a piece of Chai close, but the result came with a lot more attention than comfort. Belle may look like the cat Kelly lost in 2017, yet the two animals have very different personalities, and that difference is now at the center of the story.
After Chai died unexpectedly, Kelly decided to clone her with help from ViaGen, a process that took years and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Belle eventually arrived through a surrogate cat, and Kelly began sharing the experience online, where not everyone was kind about it.
Now the backlash, the bond, and the big questions around cloning are all colliding in one very public story. Read on.
Kelly's heart was literally crushed when she lost her kitten

But Belle is not Chai, at least not in terms of personality. However, Kelly is happy to have her lost kitty's memory now living on in Belle. Technology might have brought a new Chai to her, but their spirits aren't the same.
Chai was her best friend, companion, joy-giver, and many more.

Kelly says that Belle is the “troublemaker” of her four-cat clowder. She went further to differentiate the characters of the two kitties, who do not resemble one another.
Technology might have brought a new Chai to her, but their spirits aren't the same.

She stated their differences by starting with Chai. She says that both cats are sassy, but Chai enjoys eating snacks while Belle is obsessed with human food.
“I have all my other cats who are between three and almost 13. This is my oldest,” said Kelly. “They’re all pretty chill, and then there’s Belle.”
Similar Look But A New Cat

Belle is curious, energetic, and loves cuddles, but Chai wasn’t like that. Regarding the kitten mews, Kelly says that Belle has a “plethora of strange, low-ranging meows that are very guttural,” while Chai had a normal, higher-pitched meow.
“She’s a kitten and she wants to play all the time. She’s really rambunctious like any other six-month-old kitten,” Kelly shared. “She’s very affectionate and inquisitive and just bold. She has no fear at all; she loves going out to new places.”
This hits close to the grieving mom who lashed out at her sister for comparing her daughter’s death to a cat.
Belle is quite different from the calm and quiet Chai.

Unfortunately, some people came for Kelly on TikTok, regularly sending her hateful messages. In her defense, she said that “some have ethical problems, but some claim I’m using a cloned cat to make money on social media,” which she asserts isn’t true.
Pictures of the clone and the original cat
Kelly would also like to let the public know that cloning her cherished cat doesn’t mean she hates shelter cats, as she has fostered over a hundred cats and adopted numerous times as well.
“There was just something special and different about Chai. I don’t know really; I can’t put it into words. She was just that pet for me. I’ve never had a pet like her. And I wanted to carry on a piece of her.”
Cloning is wild

Kelly has made her wish come true, thanks to ViaGen. And even if Chai is gone, she and Belle can keep her memories alive and teach other people about cloning.
Kelly has made her wish come true

The appearance might be the same but the personalities differ
Examining the nuances of cloning reveals a critical distinction between physical appearance and personality. While the cloned kitten may mirror the original's looks, it will not inherit the same character traits. This underscores a fundamental aspect of cloning: the essence of personality is deeply influenced by individual experiences and environmental factors. Kelly Anderson aims to shed light on this misconception, emphasizing that the cloned animal, despite its familiar exterior, will forge its own unique identity.
For the full clone-and-grief rollercoaster, read about a woman who spent £19k to clone her beloved deceased cat.