Pet-cloning business up and running

SAUSALITO, Calif., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Tabouli and Baba Ganoush, the second and third kittens ever to be cloned, are part of a $10 million effort to create a pet-cloning business in California.

The two identical 8-week-olds were cloned from a Bengal cat named Tahini by the Sausalito-based Genetic Savings and Clone, which is getting off the ground with more than $10 million from University of Phoenix founder John Sterling, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Five wealthy customers have already ponied up the $50,000 it costs to have their cats cloned, the first of which should be opening its eyes by December.

"All pieces of the puzzle are now in place on the cat side," said Genetic Savings Chief Executive Officer Lou Hawthorne.