Just when you think you’ve heard the worst about how humans treat animals, a story like this comes along.
Meet Bagel, a tabby cat who spent almost five years living inside a laboratory cage in Oklahoma.
For nearly his entire life, he was used for toxicity testing.
When rescuers found him, they discovered hundreds of illegal chemicals inside his body, and many other cats shared the same fate.
Bagel never knew the warmth of a safe home.
He never curled up on a soft blanket or batted at a toy mouse.
He never experienced the gentle affection of a human who loved him just because he existed.
His world was clinical, cold, and designed for experiments.
But one day, everything changed.
Beagle Freedom Project, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehomes animals used in laboratory testing, stepped in and made a bold move.
They bought the lab where Bagel and hundreds of other cats were kept, and turned it into a sanctuary.
In that single moment, Bagel’s life went from endless testing to endless possibilities.
Among those who heard about this rescue effort was Erin Sharoni, an animal lover from Miami.
Erin had just suffered the heartbreaking loss of her dog Bodhi and her cat Lentil.
Still grieving, she felt a pull to give another animal a second chance.
Without hesitation, she flew all the way to Oklahoma to meet the cats who had just been freed.
When she saw Bagel for the first time, she knew he was the one.
Up until that moment, Bagel didn’t even have a name.
He had only ever been known as “Number 698.” Erin gave him more than just a home, she gave him an identity.
“He had no name in the lab,” Erin explained. “He was number 698.”
“What I learned from the rescuers was cats were very well socialized as kittens by the lab workers specifically. So they would be easier to work with during experiments. They were also food deprived to keep them hungry. A hungry cat is generally a motivated cat.”
Bagel wasn’t just a number anymore.
The first step of his new life was a flight to Miami, where Erin brought him home.
But after so many years of confinement, Bagel didn’t know what to do with freedom.
He hid in the bathroom for days, too scared to venture out.
Slowly, his curiosity took over.
He crept out to explore his new surroundings, step by step. Erin’s home is near the beach, and soon Bagel discovered the giant window with a view of the sky.
He would sit for hours watching birds fly by and planes soaring overhead.
For the first time ever, the world looked big and beautiful instead of frightening.
Erin tried to introduce Bagel to toys, filling a basket with soft balls and catnip mice.
But Bagel had never played before.
Instead of batting them around, he simply climbed into the basket and sat there as if he was finally claiming a place for himself.
Day by day, Bagel started to learn what it meant to just be a cat.
He began rubbing against his toys, gently swatting at them, and curling up in sunny spots.
But there was something else about him that Erin noticed, he didn’t want to be alone.
“He was very clingy for the first few weeks,” she said. “Now he’s chilled out a little bit, but he’s still extremely affectionate.”
It’s no wonder.
After spending years isolated in a cage, Bagel wanted to be as close to his human as possible, as if to make sure this new life wasn’t just another experiment that would end.
Bagel’s journey is more than just one cat’s story, it’s proof that second chances can transform lives.
Thanks to Erin, this once-forgotten lab cat now spends his days surrounded by comfort and love.
Today, Bagel is thriving.
He watches the waves from his window, plays with his toys, and soaks up affection like he has years of love to catch up on.
What began as a sad story of neglect turned into one of hope.
Bagel will never again be just a number in a sterile room.
He is Bagel, loved, cherished, and finally free.
If you want to keep up with Bagel’s adventures, Erin shares updates about his new life on Instagram, where his story continues to inspire animal lovers everywhere.
Because of one organization’s mission and one woman’s open heart, Bagel got the life he always deserved.