Considering that my grief towards deceased pets is for their loss (i.e. they no longer get to experience life), cloning is not only ineffective but outright disrespectful.

A cloned pet doesn't continue that animal's consciousness. It's just breeding a "replacement". And it not only deprives a shelter pet of a potential home, but the cloning process itself is unethical: (see reason 2 and 3) https://www.dailypaws.com/living-with-pets/pet-owner-relationship/pet-cloning

If I had $35K (per linked article) to burn for cloning my deceased cat, I could instead provide lifetime care for an adopted cat and still leave a 5-digit donation to shelters, rescue groups, or spay/neuter surgeries. This would be a more fitting tribute.