Copy Cat: First Cloned Cat Produces 3 Kittens

COLLEGE STATION - CC, the world's first cloned cat, may not have nine lives, but she has produced three kittens whose lives already are unique.

CC, short for Copy Cat, was born Dec. 22, 2001 and became the first-ever cloned cat by a team of Texas A&M University researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. She has since lived with Duane Kraemer, a veterinary medicine professor who helped clone her, and his wife Shirley in nearby Bryan.

The couple, cat fanciers all of their lives, successfully mated CC with Smokey, like CC a tabby but with different markings. The three kittens were born almost exactly three months ago.

Although not the first cloned cat to have a litter of kittens, CC is believed to be the first in Texas to give birth. Of her three kittens, two bear a very similar resemblance to her while the third is identical to the gray color of Smokey, the dad.

"CC has always been a perfectly normal cat and her kittens are just that way, too," Duane Kraemer says.

"We purchased Smokey for the specific purpose of mating him with CC. We've been monitoring their health and all of them are fine, just like CC has been for the past five years."

"CC was always a very playful kitten and her babies have a similar type of personality," Shirley Kraemer adds.

"They are as cute as kittens can be, just healthy and normal cats. We'll never part with them. They will always remain with us or other family members."

Texas A&M has cloned more species than any institution in the world. Since 1999 researchers have cloned cattle, swine, goats, horses, a deer and a cat.

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