Dealing with the death of a pet can sometimes be harder than dealing with the passing of a friend or relative, because that pet is such a big part of your home and everyday life, but grieve and move on we must.

But what if you could use cloning technology to create an exact clone of your pet at the cost of $150,000 - could you bring yourself to spend that much money on a dog? And is that clone really going to be the same as the original?

When Nina and Edgar Otto's beloved Labrador Lancelot passed away back in 2009 they found they couldn't live with the loss- so they paid the $150k and had Lancelot cloned from samples of his DNA.

BioArts, a firm in San Francisco, is responsible for this amazing story and they worked in conjunction with a South Korean team at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. The new dog was named Lancelot Encore (because of course it was) and the animal was created by injecting DNA into the eggs of a surrogate pup.

Since then their dog Lancelot Encore has sired a litter of puppies and dog cloning has become virtually mainstream, with companies like Viagen Pets offering their dog cloning services for a mere $50k. But the question still remains- can the clone ever really compare to the original?

-Via Goodfullness

Most of the time when we post singing birds here, it's because we find it cute and remarkable that they know an entire song that's familiar to us. This time, it's because this bird and pianist make beautiful music together.

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An adorable and talented white-faced cockatiel named Poko songs the theme to My Neighbor Totoro while his human accompanies him on piano. -via Laughing Squid

Most dogs are inherently boorish and uncivilized so they don't know how to ask politely when they want to come back in the house and end up annoying their humans by scratching on the door and whining.

That's why dogs who have learned good manners should teach their uncouth cousins how to politely ask to come in like the dog in this video, who stands up and rings the doorbell when she wants back in.

(YouTube Link)

-Via Laughing Squid

Artist Emma Ward was playing around with her chameleon Olive one day when she discovered Olive would hang on tight to anything placed in her hands, which made for perfect lizard photo ops.

So Emma grabbed every tiny weapon she could find and armed her scaly friend Olive, shooting pics of her silly little warrior to share online.

Emma's battle lizard chronicles inspired another pet owner to share pics of his sugar glider holding stuff too, which made them look tougher than any sugar glider has ever looked.

The darling little sugar glider is still cute, but also very, very tough with that massive warhammer in his hands, as if he's saying "come at me, sis!" to the chameleon that started it all, Olive the Omnipotent.

-Via Bored Panda

You know how kids get so excited when a parent comes home after being gone all day at work? It's enough to make the stay-at-home parent feel jealous. That only lasts until they enter school, because kids don't seem all that happy to see their parents after a day with their friends. Omni the umbrella cockatoo knows what time to expect his human to come home, and seems quite happy to welcome him into the house.

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There's plenty of evidence that Omni is quite attached to his "mom," Rebecca Stout, too, and the entire family, as you can see in their videos. You can also follow Omni at his Instagram feed. -via Laughing Squid

America's Funniest Home Videos receive hundreds of videos a year featuring cats doing crazy things, so they decided to put all the videos with cats who appear to be under the influence of catnip together in one high-larious compilation.

You can't always tell when a cat is sleepy, happy or grumpy, but you can definitely tell when a cat has been hitting the catnip- because when the catnip kicks in their frisky side comes shining through.

(YouTube Link)

Rock stars spend a lot of time on the road away from their friends and family, but as soon as they stop touring for a while they look forward to going home to see their loved ones- especially their cats and dogs.

The average rocker may not be good at keeping their marriage alive, staying sober or handling domestic matters, but they are really good at showering their pets with adoration and giving them a good life.

And since their pets have no idea how famous they are and don't judge them for their rock 'n' roll lifestyle the special bond they have with their pet makes even the most famous rock star feel like a kid again.

See more Rock Stars With Their Cats And Dogs at Dangerous Minds

Ask any kid or little dog and they'll tell you- toys can be super scary, especially when they make noise when you're not expecting it, pop up or come rolling after you like a giant boulder.

The little French Bulldog in this video had such a hysterical reaction to a rubber ball bouncing after him he earned himself a nickname- Indiana Jones Dog. It must suck to be that tiny...

(YouTube Link)

-Via Honest to Paws

Among several koala babies who are starting to emerge from their mothers' pouches at the Australia Zoo in Queensland is one that stands out among the crowd. She's got white fur! She's not an albino, but just has rare white fur due to a recessive gene. While it's possible that her hair may turn darker as she matures, that white fur would be dangerous for animals in the wild, because it will stand out to predators searching for a meal.

The Australia Zoo and Tourism Australia are soliciting suggestions for the white joey's name on Facebook. Many of the comments are names that reference how unique or white she is. See more pictures of the yet-unnamed joey at Mashable.

(Image credit: Australia Zoo)

People are surprised to learn snapping turtles can be really dangerous when encountered in the wild, thinking they have the same temperament as a tortoise or sea turtle, but mess with an alligator snapping turtle and you're bound to get bit.

Alligator snapping turtles are the most dangerous type, which should be obvious since they sport spiky warrior shells and wicked beaks made to tear through flesh, but you'll only have to tangle with them if you meet one in the water:

5. Believe it or not, these turtles rarely travel on land at all. The females will briefly venture out of the water to lay eggs, but males typically spend their entire lives beneath the water’s surface. Both genders can hold their breath for nearly an hour at a time!

7. These guys are masters at camouflaging themselves, which is good for them—but bad for just about everything else nearby. Their shells are often covered in algae, which makes them look like rocks in the muddy waters they inhabit. Their pupils are also surrounded by excess skin so they’re hard to spot.

(YouTube Link)

Read 10 Facts About Alligator Snapping Turtles here

Motherhood has never been easy, especially when you have several young ones to keep track of. This raccoon has at least two kits, maybe more. When it's nap time, she wants to get them all into the tree where they live so she can get some shut eye. But that last child does not want to cooperate.

(YouTube link)

This raccoon family was recorded in Leesburg, Virginia. Note that at about two minutes in, the mother notices the camera operator. She doesn't have time to smile for the camera, at least not until every kit is inside and accounted for. -via Tastefully Offensive

Here's a dog with a unique job. He walks around the tourist district of Huangpu village in China, showing everyone a sign advertising his owner's hamburger shop!

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Take his word for it, the burgers are good. Want to take a picture? He'll pose, but only with his sign facing front so you can see it. That's a good dog. -via Tastefully Offensive

Check out this couch monster! Someone's playing with their dog under a blanket. But wait -that's not a dog! What kind of critter is this?

(YouTube link)

It's Loki, the red fox! He loves playing games with his humans. -via Tastefully Offensive

Trash pandas just wanna have fun! This adorable trio of raccoon cubs discovered that the wheel of a hanging bicycle makes a great swing.

(YouTube link)

They can't wait for their turn, so they fight a little, and then end up piling on all at once. Whee! -via Laughing Squid

GirthyBurritos spotted this vehicle filling up at an interstate exit. This cat is clearly headed for a new life in a new place. Since he had to strap his cat tree on top, you can assume that the interior is full of catnip, Fancy Feast, and hair ties. The reddit thread underneath gives a collaborative speculation as to his story.

Salty

"Sitting in James' truck at the gas station, I began to question my choice to leave. No. Karen and James had their chance, that sparrow was the last straw.

I had hunted, killed and gifted 47 prey by that point and every one had been met with disgust and rejection. After duly showing gratitude for my humans handing me ownership of themselves and their land, Karen grabbed me by the neck and rubbed my face in the delicious meal I had brought them. I was baffled and deeply offended. I didn't understand them, they didn't understand me, it was time to move on.

Without me patrolling the garden, Karen and James would most likely be eaten by dogs. So be it, I had no more use for them."

Bifferer

...so, with 2 kilos of catnip and my lookout post strapped to the roof, I topped off the tank and left town.

Snarkhive

"We were just outside of barstow when the catnip began to take hold"

xtraordinaryshitpost

I would watch this movie.

Further down in the comment thread, the plot gets much weirder. Wherever he's going, he's definitely in the driver's seat. I bet his name is Toonces. The moral of the story: Never leave your car keys out where the cat can get them.