~Thank you to Cuddle Clones for providing a sample to help facilitate this post. This post also contains affiliate links, in which I will receive a small commission for your purchase. As always, opinions are still 100% my own.~
For many like myself, pets are more than just animals, they are family. My first born children were fur babies and the only children I had for about four years (that’s when my oldest son came into the family). My two dogs, Miami and Diesel, were spoiled rotten and not just by us, but by my parents as well. We all loved them like family and would do anything to ensure their safety and well-being.
So, you can imagine, when that dreadful day came this past September where Diesel crossed the rainbow bridge, it was crushing. We cried all day, all week, and still have our moments even now. We lost a family member who can never be replaced. Even Miami, who has been with Diesel since day one (they’re from the same litter) knew something was wrong. She lost her best friend.
I wanted to do something to memorialize Diesel, my big, squishy, lovable, low key, spoiled dog. Pictures just weren’t enough and everything my mom did to memorialize him (cremation, paw print ornament, etc.) just didn’t satisfy my wanting to hold him forever. That’s when I turned to Cuddle Clones to create a cuddly plush replica of my beloved Diesel.
Cuddle Clones is a company that creates customized stuffed-animal versions of pets, among other fun customized items. They put a lot of time and hard work into their creations so that pet owners have a true replica of and forever loving connection with their pet. My Diesel? His Cuddle Clone is as perfect as he was. I literally cried when I pulled him out of the box. I can hold, and hug, and love on him anytime now.
Ordering was easy and done completely online. I uploaded as many photos of Diesel as I could, attempting to show every angle possible, and chose certain customization details, like eye color, ear position, stance, and tail position, so that my friends at Cuddle Clones could get his plush to as closely resemble him as they could. And that’s exactly what they did. And to be honest, some of the photos I uploaded weren’t that great, so I’m impressed with what they were able to pull off.
One of the things that was important for Diesel’s plush to truly resemble him, was the bit of baggy skin he had under his chin. We used to make fun of him because he looked like an old man with the saggy skin. To my surprise, Cuddle Clones was able to get that detail. Overall, I am very impressed with the color and how it appears to have depth, and even how accurate they were able get Diesel’s fur pattern all around his body.
When I look at Diesel’s Cuddle Clone, I truly see him. From the stance, to the ear position, eyes, nose, everything, it looks just like him. In fact, I thought maybe I was going a little crazy the other day. Diesel’s Cuddle Clone was sitting on my bed and every time I’d walk past, I’d glance in the room and jump a little. Why? Because the Cuddle Clone looks that realistic. I thought about texting my boyfriend, but figured he’d think I was losing my mind. Lo and behold, later in the evening when my boyfriend got home, he walked into the bedroom, immediately came back out and was like, “Okay, I swear I was expecting Diesel to just jump up and greet me.” I wasn’t going crazy after all! The resemblance is unbelievable.
A small, but meaningful detail I didn’t even catch right away is Diesel’s name sewn into the tag on his tail end. And on top of that, the size of the plush is much larger than I imagined it would be. Diesel, at 80 pounds, always thought he was a lap dog, but now he really can be and still take up my whole lap. He can sit in my kids laps now too. Before they were laying on him, haha.
Now, this isn’t the type of thing where you order and your pet’s plush is at your door within the week. Cuddle Clones takes the time to study the photos and make sure your plush is getting the quality they deserve. It takes weeks, and sometimes up to two months, to perfect the plush, but the wait is well worth it. They are handmade after all.
Be sure to check out the photo gallery. Cuddle Clones can do all kinds of animals.
And I’ll be frank, a Cuddle Clone seems fairly expensive (in my opinion) starting at $179 for small pets and $249 for large/complex pets. But when you look at the time and detail that goes into it, and the real life resemblance, you can’t put a price on your fur family. On the flip side, you know I can’t just let you pay full price when I can offer a discount. So when you make a purchase, simply use promo code JBBB10 and you’ll get 10% off your order, no matter what you’re buying.
Plus, a portion of every purchase is donated each month to a different charity benefiting pet-related causes. So when it comes time for me to purchase a Cuddle Clone of Miami (I can’t get one of Diesel and not of her, but hopefully it won’t be anytime soon and she’ll live forever), I know I’m not only memorializing her, but helping and possibly saving the life of another animal.
As I mentioned earlier, Cuddle Clones isn’t just replica plush animals, but there are other items that can be customized as well. Would you wear your pets on your feet? If so, slippers would be fun to get. Even if you have two pets, Cuddle Clones will do one for each foot! Mother’s Day is coming up and I know my mom would go nuts for a pair of slippers of Miami and Diesel, and they’re $50 off right now. Add the extra 10% off with promo code JBBB10 and I’m saving even more!
What type of pet would you get a Cuddle Clone of?
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