Earlier this year, our family lost our beloved pet, Howie. You can read more about him on my website. During our mourning, we learned of a company called Cuddle Clones. My husband and I thought this would be a great gift for our 11- and 9-year-old sons to help them remember Howie.
The company was founded in 2009, when Jennifer Graham lost her own beloved pet, Rufus. While she had been mulling the idea while her pet was still alive, it wasn’t until his death that she decided to go forward in starting up a company that specialized in completely customized stuffed pets.
Pay a visit to the Cuddle Clones website. You will instantly be greeted with a slideshow of incredibly cute stuffed pets, with the photos of the real pets alongside the replicas. You will see the accuracy and quality right away. In addition to the stuffed animals, Cuddle Clones offers cast resin figurines and ornaments. It also offers gifts and supplies for your living pets, such as shirts, beds, and collars.
The website is easy to navigate, and in just a couple of clicks, you can start designing a custom pet replica of your very own.
For the classic stuffed Cuddle Clone, you will go through a step-by-step process that includes uploading numerous photos of your pet. The more photos you have available, the better. Howie had a distinctive curly, fluffy tail (he was part Chow Chow), so I made a point to let the company know on the order form to make sure the tail is right.
Cuddle Clones aren’t inexpensive. Expect to invest $199 for a dog or cat, or $129 for smaller pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits. Don’t forget tax and shipping, which is approximately $10 per pet. I assure you, based on what we’ve seen with our own new pets, the attention to detail is worth every penny.
Also, Cuddle Clones take a while to make. Each pet is individually handcrafted, and that takes time. As of this writing, expect to wait 8 to 10 weeks for your completed replica. Ours took about 9 weeks.
When the replicas arrive, prepare to be dazzled. I was certainly shocked at how big the clones actually are. Each one was about 12 to 14 inches long, and about 10 inches tall. A tag with your pet’s name is sewn onto the back of the animal.
Check out these comparison photos and see for yourself:
Our sons absolutely loved them…at first. The boys toted them all over the house, had their “Howies” ride in the car with us, and slept with them at night. However, our oldest son began to have dreams about Howie again and that worried us. So he (for now, he insists) has put Howie away for a little bit. Our youngest son continues to love his “Howie.” Based on their cost, however, we’ve discussed whether the clone should be placed in a nice location just for viewing, or if we should just let the kids hug and love them to death the way they do their other favorite stuffed animals.
I have to admit, we were worried about whether such an accurate likeness would creep out our sons. We decided to go forward, but some families might not be comfortable with it. You know your kids well; consider their reactions to a gift such as this.
While having the replica as a memory of a passed-on pet is a great way to enjoy a Cuddle Clone, consider other ways to make them great gifts. How about a gift for your son/daughter going away to college? Is your favorite military member taking a deployment and might miss his/her pet? Consider Cuddle Clones.
Join the company’s mailing list for coupon codes, such as $30 off a clone.
GeekMom received a discount on this product for review purposes.
Thanks so much for such a detailed review! Feeling more confident in buying one now 🙂
My dog is 8 soon and he has a lot more lives. But I was definitely looking into this. I really want one. When he passes, it’ll make me sad having a stuffed animal that looks like him, but it’s better than nothing.
Years* lol.
I ordered mine 10 days ago and since then I have 35 less people ahead of me in q. I have 2425 orders ahead of me. At the current rate of production I will get mine in 692 days, so like 2 years. They have already charged my credit card.
How is your progress coming along? I had about 2600 orders ahead of me but it seems to be going faster than expected. I bought mine in March and don’t expected it until between Halloween week and New Years week (1130 orders to go).
I made my order and was told I would receive it in 2 months at the end of January. I left several messages wonder about the status of my order. I was told 2 or 3 more times that I would receive at the end of January. I told them if I couldn’t get it by Feb1 then I just wanted a refund. This being the last couple of days before February I inquired as to the status of my order. They tell me it will be shipped in a couple of weeks. I then ask for a refund and am told… sorry, you cannot get a full refund. They want me to pay $25 because they already made a 3d graphic.
Liars which amounts to thieves. Save your money and time and search out their competitors.
hi im michael chatreau and want to know if you can make a double sided stuffed animal for my grandaughter. Surfer Joe is my logo, i used to surf but now im paralyzed from car accident, but life is still great! send me your emai and ill send you a pic.Thanks guys! keep up the good work
You would need to go to the Cuddle Clone website. Here’s the link for it. 🙂
http://www.cuddleclones.com/about-cuddle-clones.html
Is the shipping box inconspicuous? I ordered one as a Christmas gift, and don’t want the surprise ruined if they receive the package.
Hi Jessica,
You can see a photo of the box above. Not inconspicuous at all. I recommend you call and ask about a more plain box though. I’m sure they’d accommodate.
Thanks for reading!
Patricia
Also, know that the prices have increased considerably since I wrote this over two years ago. It was $199 in 2014, it’s now $249. They are very popular gifts. Also, it’s past the holiday order deadline, if you order now they won’t be available till February.