Lab Test Cat 698

Cat 698 spent his first four years in a toxicity testing laboratory. The lab was closed down and then bought by the Beagle Freedom Project, but who wants to adopt a lab cat? They aren't kittens, and they've been deprived and exposed to toxic chemicals. Erin Sharoni wanted to. She's doing research in bioethics at Harvard Medical School, particularly on developing animal-free testing testing techniques. Sharoni flew to Oklahoma to get one of the lab cats and couldn't resist #698, who she renamed Bagel.

Bagel was healthy, sociable, and affectionate, but he had some strange gaps in his knowledge of the world. For example, he didn't know what cat toys were for. Or a sink. But with love and patience, he is learning, and settling into the world of a pampered pet. You can follow the story of Bagel at Instagram.