For over 12 long years, an orange tabby cat lived a life most of us can hardly imagine. She wasn’t Marigold back then. She was #11-245, a number tattooed in her ears. She had no soft bed, no sunny windowsill, no gentle hand to scratch her ears. Her world was cold, sterile, and lonely—a testing lab at the University of California, Davis.
Her days were filled with experiments and confinement. She didn’t know what it felt like to be loved or to have a place to call home. But everything changed when White Coat Waste, a group dedicated to ending taxpayer-funded animal experiments, stepped in. They shut down the lab and stopped its breeding colony.
The cats who had endured so much needed homes. This was their chance for freedom, for love.
The First Glimpse of Hope
Anthony Bellotti, the founder of White Coat Waste, was one of the people who helped rescue those cats. But his heart was set on giving one of them a forever home.
“When we shut down the lab, I knew I wanted to adopt one,” Anthony said. “I had just lost Petite, another cat I rescued from a lab. My heart was broken, but I was ready to open it again.”
Anthony didn’t choose Marigold. She chose him.
Among the rescued cats was a frail orange tabby. She was nervous, thin, and refused to eat. She had never known kindness or safety. But when her wide, frightened eyes met Anthony’s, something shifted. It was as if she saw, for the first time, someone who truly cared.
Becoming Marigold
For more than a decade, she was just a number. But Anthony wanted to give her more than a name—he wanted to give her a new life. He named her Marigold, inspired by the bright orange flowers that symbolize warmth and resilience.
At first, it wasn’t easy. Marigold was cautious, unsure of her new surroundings. She didn’t understand toys or treats. She didn’t know how to trust. But day by day, she began to change.
She gained weight. She found her appetite and quickly became “food crazy,” meowing for treats with a boldness that made Anthony laugh. She discovered catnip toys, soft blankets, and the joy of “making biscuits” with her tiny paws.
Celebrating a Life Reclaimed
Anthony and Marigold recently celebrated a milestone together—her 13th birthday. For the first time, it was a birthday outside the lab. There was no fear, no loneliness. Instead, there was love, a little party, and her first-ever KitNipBox filled with toys and goodies.
“She’s healthy, happy, and thriving,” Anthony shared with pride. “Every day, she surprises me with her joy for the simplest things. She’s a reminder of how far love and patience can go.”
A Family Forever
Marigold’s life now is everything it was never meant to be: safe, joyful, and full of love. She has a family that cherishes her, a home where she will never feel scared again.
“Marigold isn’t just a pet,” Anthony said. “She’s a part of our family. And she’s a symbol of why we fight—to give every animal a second chance at life.”
Marigold’s journey from a cold lab to a warm home is a story of resilience, hope, and the power of love. She may have spent over a decade as just a number, but now she’s Marigold—a cat who will never be forgotten.