CEDAR FALLS – Hello, kitty.
Mr. Tufts Jr. is the color of ink, and his fur is as soft as a cloud. Large copper eyes are filled with curiosity — and more than a little mischief. His athletic legs are spring-loaded for leaping to the top of the china cabinet, fireplace mantel, stair railing and anywhere else he shouldn’t go, but does anyway because, well, he’s a cat.
At nearly nine months old and 8 ½ pounds, his owner describes Mr. Tufts Jr. as “a holy terror,” a four-legged adolescent “little beast” who has suddenly discovered his claws “that he uses to shred toilet paper all over the house.” But of course, there’s the cuddle factor – “he’s sweet and very affectionate.”
Mr. Tufts Jr. is the spitting image of his namesake, Mr. Tufts. That’s because junior is a clone.
The original Mr. Tufts was a copper-eyed, black semi-long-haired, silky cat with a small white “locket” at his throat, a plumed tail and tufts of fur behind his ears and between his toes.
“I had never had such a wonderful creature. It was harder losing him than any other cat I’ve ever had,” said the owner, a Cedar Falls retiree who wants to remain anonymous.
She was heartbroken when he died. But she had him cloned.
Dr. Kevin Christman of Cedar Valley Veterinary Center in Cedar Falls collected small living tissue samples from his patient, the original Mr. Tufts.
“We had to sedate him and take a little skin, fat and hair – tiny pieces of tissue, like taking a biopsy sample,” he said. It’s the first time in his 10 years as a vet that he’s done a procedure for cloning an animal. “Obviously, I’m science-minded, so it was very interesting and kind of cool. He was an awesome cat, so what better cat than Mr. Tufts?”
The tissue samples were sent to ViaGen Pets in Cedar Park, Texas, pet cloning and genetic preservation specialists. “The common bond with all our clients is the extreme love and connection to their pets. It’s such a special bond that the owner can’t imagine what it will be like without that pet,” said Melain Rodriguez, ViaGen client services manager.
ViaGen has cloned dogs, cats and horses, including the first successfully cloned endangered Przewalski’s horse for San Diego Zoo, which was born in August.
A cloned cat is a genetic twin of the original cat, Rodriguez said. No genetic modification takes place and the cloned cat shares many attributes of the original cat, including appearance, intelligence and temperament. It is no more susceptible to health issues than any other cat. Once received by ViaGen, tissue samples collected by the veterinarian are cultured, and then cultured cells are frozen and stored.
“These cells can be stored for many years. There is no expiration date. The Przewalski’s horse cells were frozen for 40 years before cloning,” explained Rodriguez, who owns a 2-year-old cloned Bengal cat.
Christman received an information packet and followed ViaGen’s step-by-step instructions on what was needed for the process.
Although postmortem samples aren’t uncommon, Rodriguez said “it’s much better to have samples from living cells. We recommend pet owners let their vets know that they’re interested in cloning or want to clone their pet, so they can be proactive about getting a tissue sample, such as when the pet is under anesthesia for a dental cleaning or spay-neuter, to be prepared for when that time comes.”
When the Cedar Falls client was ready to clone Mr. Tufts, ViaGen Pets took one of the frozen cells to replace the nucleus of a female cat’s egg. Through a patented process, the egg and cell were joined together and an embryo started to grow. The embryo was then transferred to a surrogate mother cat, similar to in vitro fertilization in humans. After a normal pregnancy period, Mr. Tufts’ genetic twin was born. The nursing period was the same as for any kitten, said Rodriguez.
Each animal involved in the cloning process is under constant care by veterinarians and the ViaGen team to ensure comfort, health and well-being, she noted.
Mr. Tufts Jr. is the spitting image of her beloved original cat, the owner said.
“The only physical difference, as far as I can see, is in health and body condition. The original T had been found on a forest trail and had a very bad respiratory illness.”
She also adopted the surrogate cat, which she named Surri G Momcat.
Mr. Tufts Jr. was born Jan. 23. Rodriguez delivered Mr. Tufts Jr. and Momcat to the owner March 29 at the Cedar Rapids Airport. They rode in the cabin with her from Texas.
Both cats are in fine health and doing well. Christman is caring for the cats and a grateful owner named him godfather to Mr. Tufts Jr. “My furry godchild,” the vet said, laughing. “He’s a handsome cat, full of personality – and has tufts of fur in his ears like the original Mr. Tufts.”
Like his namesake, the young feline likes to head-butt greetings, then roll onto his side and stretch into an arch for a good belly rub. “Our new Mr. Tufts Jr. is much more athletic than our original, probably because he, and Momcat, too, had the best of care,” the owner explained. The original Mr. T was a rescue cat.
Cat cloning costs $35,000; dogs are $50,000.
“I could afford it. We don’t have any children. I don’t spend money on clothes or hair, I live frugally, and I drive a 31-year-old car. T Jr. is so beautiful — he’s gone from being a fluffy fur ball to a sleek, silky cat. I’m just so happy. I wanted to adopt Momcat, too, because I owe her a good life,” the owner explained.
Still, she feels the need to “make amends” for spending such a large sum on cloning her cat. She has underwritten the cost of several spay-neuter clinics for Cedar Valley Veterinary Center, is paying for her great-niece’s university education and has committed an amount equal to the cloning fee to Habitat for Humanity.
Beef Stew

Beef Stew
- 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cold water
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown beef in oil over medium heat. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into pot. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
Stir potatoes, carrots, celery and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.
Optional: Add 1 cup beer to water. Guiness Stout is Chef Nolta’s choice.
Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s Pie
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic clove
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups frozen vegetable medley (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 3/4 cup beef broth
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped garlic and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Bring another large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Add frozen vegetable medley, ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread the ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots.Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops
- 4 thick, bone-in pork chops
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish, mix together flour with garlic powder and chili powder. Coat pork chops in flour, shaking off excess. Reserve 2 tablespoons seasoned flour.
In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup oil until shimmering.
In batches, cook pork chops until golden, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Wipe out skillet.
Reduce heat to medium low, pour in remaining oil and add onions.
Season with more salt and pepper and cook until very soft and slightly caramelized, 15-20 minutes.
Add butter and let melt, then sprinkle in reserved flour. Cook until flour is no longer raw, about a minute.
Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a simmer, until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
Return pork chops to skillet and cook until pork is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Salsibury Steak

Salisbury Steak
For the patties:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the gravy:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
To make patties: In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and form into 4 oval patties.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil.Sear both sides of the patties until a crust forms, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
To make gravy: Wipe out skillet and add butter.Add onions and thyme and stir until onion becomes translucent, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and tender, about 4 minutes.
Sprinkle onions and mushrooms with flour, and stir until they are fully coated. Cook another 2 minutes.Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and beef stock. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the gravy to a simmer and return patties to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the patties are done and the sauce has thickened.
Plate the patties and top with more gravy. Serve.
Fresh Apple Pie

Fresh Apple Pie
- 1 9-inch double pie crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.
Cover with a latticework crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.