China breeds first cloned cat with home-grown equipment, reagents and consumables

The first cat cloned using only Chinese equipment, reagents and consumables throughout the entire process was born in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. The procedure will boost cloning efficiency while reducing costs. 　

The 141-gram orange cat was born naturally by a surrogate after 69 days of gestation. The cat was born at a mammalian somatic cell cloning base at Qingdao Agricultural University　on November 19, 2023. 　

The birth of this cloned cat demonstrates that China has a complete industrial chain in the field of animal cloning, according to Qingdao Agricultural University. 　

"Our research outcomes will promote the application of cloning technology in animal husbandry. Home-grown equipment, reagents, and consumables can significantly reduce the cost of experiments, which will help us popularize cloning technologies in agriculture production," said Zhao Minghui, head of the feline somatic cell cloning project　at　Qingdao Agricultural University.