Why Biopsying Your Pet While Alive Is Essential for Cloning
The Most Common Mistake Pet Owners Make
At Skytyx, we receive heartbreaking messages every week from people who just lost their beloved pet.
Their cat has passed away, and in the depths of grief, they’ve discovered that cloning is possible. Some have placed their cat’s body in a freezer at the vet, hoping that we can still retrieve cells. Others only have a tuft of fur, a few whiskers, or cremated remains. They reach out, asking:
“Is it too late to clone my cat?”
And all too often, our answer has to be: Yes.
This article explains why — and what you can do now, while your pet is healthy or aging, to preserve their legacy through cloning.
1. Cloning Requires Live, Healthy Cells — Not Hair or Ashes
The science of cloning depends on viable, intact DNA from living cells — specifically, the nucleus of a somatic cell, like a skin or muscle cell.
When your pet is alive, or just after a planned biopsy, we can:
Harvest cells from a small tissue sample (biopsy)
Culture those cells in the lab
Freeze them using cryopreservation (liquid nitrogen storage at -196°C)
Use them later in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to create a genetic twin
But once a pet dies — especially if it’s been frozen, cremated, or even left unrefrigerated for too long — the cells begin to break down rapidly.
After 5–7 hours, cell viability drops dramatically. After 24–48 hours, DNA degradation becomes irreversible.
Hair, fur, teeth, ashes — while sentimental — do not contain viable living cells for cloning.
2. Real Stories from the Skytyx Cloning Lab
Case 1: The Frozen Emergency
A woman in Dubai lost her Persian cat after a sudden seizure. In a panic, the vet placed the cat’s body in the freezer. She contacted us three days later, hoping it wasn’t too late.
Unfortunately, freezing a body without controlled cryopreservation ruptures cells. It’s not the same as freezing cell cultures — it causes irreversible damage. We couldn’t recover viable cells.
Case 2: Only the Whiskers Left
A client from Riyadh reached out one week after their British Shorthair passed. They had shaved the fur and kept it, thinking we could use it. But fur and whiskers contain no living cells, just keratin — like hair or nails. We had to explain: cloning is only possible with nucleated cells, not dead material.
Case 3: The Preventive Success
A couple in Abu Dhabi with a 5-year-old Bengal cat chose to act early.
They booked a biopsy while the cat was healthy, stored the sample at Skytyx, and now have peace of mind that if anything ever happens, they have living DNA preserved. Cloning is available when they’re ready — whether in a year or ten.
3. Why People Wait — and Why It’s Time to Change That
Most people only think about cloning when their pet is dying or after they've passed.
This is completely understandable. Until recently, cloning was something out of science fiction.
But the narrative is changing. Just like we preserve family photos, record memories, or even bank our own stem cells — we must start thinking of DNA as part of the legacy.
The ideal time to act is now, when your cat is:
Alive and healthy
Aging but stable
Facing surgery or chronic illness (like kidney failure or cancer)
Still under your care and not in critical condition
Think of it like insurance: you hope you never need it… but if you do, you’re grateful you prepared.
4. What Is a Biopsy and Is It Safe?
At Skytyx, we make the process simple and low-risk:
How It Works:
A small tissue sample (usually 2–4 mm) is taken from your pet under local or light sedation by a licensed veterinarian
The procedure takes 10–15 minutes
Your cat can go home the same day
We handle the cell culture and preservation in our lab in the UAE
How Much Does It Cost?
Biopsy & DNA Preservation Package: $5,000 USD in UAE GCC, $6,500 USD across GCC
Includes: tissue processing, cell culture, cryopreservation, and 1 year of secure storage
Storage can be renewed annually — or used at any time for cloning.
5. Why It Matters for the GCC Region
Across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — cat ownership is rising, and pets are becoming central members of families.
But biotechnology awareness is still low. People don’t yet know cloning is possible — and even fewer know it must be done in advance.
Skytyx is on a mission to change that. As the first lab in the Gulf region offering feline cloning, we are also educating:
Pet parents
Veterinary clinics
Groomers and breeders
Luxury pet wellness providers
We want to shift the culture from “reacting after death” to “planning for legacy.”
6. What You Can Do Today
If you have a cat, dog, or other companion animal that means the world to you, here’s how to start:
✅ Book a DNA Preservation Consultation — we’ll guide you through the process
✅ Schedule a Biopsy — quick, safe, and handled by licensed vets
✅ Secure Cryopreservation — we store your pet’s cells under optimal conditions
✅ Choose Cloning Later — or never. The point is: you have the option
Don’t wait until you're grieving. Act while your pet is alive, and give yourself the gift of choice.
Conclusion: Tomorrow’s Science Starts with Today’s Decision
At Skytyx, we’ve seen too many people arrive too late — with only hair, ashes, or heartbreak left.
Cloning is a miracle of science. But even miracles need living cells.
Let’s change the narrative in the GCC. Let’s plan ahead, preserve our most meaningful companions, and embrace the future of biotechnology with open eyes — and open hearts.
📩 Contact Skytyx today to start the preservation process. Your pet’s future may depend on it.