Here's one freaky way to acquire a pet other than going to your favorite pet shop and purchasing one! Bio.Genica has created living, breathing genetic animals called GenPets, in which they used the process called Zygote Micro Injection to combine DNA, or to insert certain proteins from different species. Most notably, it was used in 1997 to splice mice with bioluminescent jellyfish and has since been used to create glowing rabbits, pigs, fish, and monkeys. Since then, human DNA has been injected into rabbits and chimpanzees, while spider DNA were injected into sheep.

These real genetic animals have a fully functional heart, and like babies, they must be looked after and cared for. They are packaged in a fully self-contained unit in hibernation state. Each pet has an embedded microchip that monitors and controls the state of the Genpet while it is in hibernation stage. The microchip also monitors the status of the GenPet, along with the Fresh Strip and heart monitor.

The GenPets are available in 2 base configurations: the 1-year model, meaning it only has one year lifespan, and the 3-year configuration, with three years for lifespan. These genetic pets may look the same but they differ in personality as they come color-coded. For example, if you want an energetic GenPet, the Red GenPet is suitable for you. Upon waking from its dormant state, Bio.Genica claims that these GenPets will immediately bond to its owner.

The debate on whether it is ethical for humans to dabble into Mother Nature's genetic art is still a hot topic. California is one of the states that have recently banned the sale of genetically engineered pets, via the California Game Commission. “I just don’t think it’s right to produce a new organism just to be a pet. To me, this seems like an abuse of the power we have over life, and I’m not prepared to go there today,” said Sam Schuchat of the California Game Commission.

We want to know what you think regarding these bioengineered animals being sold as pets and the processes that's involved in creating them. So feel free to post your comments on this site.