# The kids: Hades and Antigone



## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

Ello, I'm new here and thought I would post some pictures of two of our "kids". (the others include a rottweiler, a big 55 gallon fish tank, and a baby cockatiel). Both are about two years old and they are named Hades (hay-dees, like the greek god) and Antigone (an-tig-oh-nee, also greek literature). 

Hades is almost 2.5 -3 feet long and weighs his "perfect" weight as set by my vet of 14 pounds. Yeah. He's a big boy. Tig is about half that size and only weighs about six pounds, but she looks much chunkier due to her massive bulk of fur. Hades is a rescue from a very bad previous owner who trapped him in a closet with three feral barn cats who attacked him constantly and then was used as bait to incite dogs. He was only three pounds when we got him at six months, he was supposed to be eight! He has some bathroom problems (refuses to poop in his box. An inch outside of his box, sure, but he's terrified of pooping in the box itself) but I still love him and he is my little boy. Tig was someones pet at some point (she was litterbox trained when found) but had been stray outside of my neighbors home for a year and a half of her short two year life. It took her a while to gain the cats trust and when she did, she found she couldnt keep her because her cats tried to attack Tig constantly. So she came to me and she is quite the treat. 

They do the silliest things. Tig, due to being stray for so long, does not do even the most basic "cat" things. She is only now starting to groom herself, and always seems to forget to clean her butt after using the box. So Hades, who is a clean freak, has taken to walking up behind her, sniffing her behind, and if it smells bad, he smacks her in the rear. She almost always immediately stops and cleans herself. Very nice Cat-to-Cat training. =D 

Pictures! 

Hades scoping out Antigone right after we brought her home: 


"What, Momma?"


All she did was hide and run the first few days. 



But now she's comfy enough to take over my boyfriends pillow. 


And those are my kids!


----------



## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Wow they are both gorgeous.


----------



## DesnBaby (Apr 18, 2004)

I've never seen colours like that on Hades 8O , lovely kitties. I like their fluffiness.


----------



## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks. ^^ Hades used to be solid black but when he reached a year old or so he sprouted that giant bushy gray beard you see in the picture, as well as random gray spots on his body. No one can tell me why he is a magical colour changing cat. xD Also, Tig has gorgeous gold eyes, but she hates making eye contact and will do everything in her power to avoid it.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Wow! How did you luck out with such gorgeous beauties? Hades is awesome! I wonder if his coloring is a mild version of "fever coat". FC usually only happens in kittens, but we recently had someone post about an ADULT cat with fever coat. I suppose it is a possibility. Antigone is also gorgeous, she looks twice the size of 6#. ...about her not-meeting-eyes, that is a "cat-speak" thing where cats view direct looks as aggressive. Since she was picked on by the other cats, she may feel that by avoiding direct looks, that is what is helping her to remain safe, here. Try looking at her and blinking slowly and/or catching her look and then slowly smiling (_mouth closed, no teeth_) and lowering your gaze down and away from her. What that does is tell a cat you trust them enough to NOT watch them every moment.
h =^..^=


----------



## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Beautiful kitties!!!


----------



## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Wow, they're both beautiful! That's a very sad story about Hades' start in life. You must feel great to have gotten him out of there.


----------



## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

As my boyfriend puts it "Yeah, Hades looks really cool, but he's such a little brat!" (in response to my telling him the response to Hades' coat). Hades is a great cuddler but he is hyperactive as all get out, and has a few quirks that include: scarfing his food and not actually chewing it so he gets sick, Pooping on the floor right outside of his box (he pees in it, but won't poop in it. I figure its from sharing one box with the three feral barncats), and when he was about 8 months old he caused about $700 dollars of damage to my apartment from ripping up all the carpet and chewing off all of the blinds cords. 

I don't care though. I still love him (and so does my boyfriend, he just likes to deny it). In addition to all that I mentioned before Hades was also locked outside for two weeks and refused back in by his previous owner. He contracted worms from this. Her roommates apparently were fond of kicking him and feeding him before the other animals so they would fight with him over food, etc etc. The previous owner was a "friend" of a coworker of mine, well that is until we started hearing more and more stories about what she had done to him. My vet was outraged by the condition that I got him in. She wanted to press charges for animal abuse and neglect but none of it could be "proven". I only got him by our shared friend interceding on behalf of the cat and begging to give it away to someone, instead of just turning it loose like the previous owner wanted to do (she became bored with Hades and didn't feel like having him anymore). Apparently she had done that with dogs and other cats when she didn't feel like having them anymore and wanted a new puppy or kitten. 

Hades got his revenge though. A week or so before I got him, he pooped in her shower. Apparently she didn't notice, or didn't sanitize her shower well enough because she developed massive leg infections (due to bacteria from the poo getting inside her cracked feet). She ended up in the ICU for five days with an ungodly medical bill (I heard it was over 20,000) and I got my baby boy! 

As for Tig, like I said. She looks HUGE. But her body is so tiny! She is one of the smallest cats I've ever owned, but she doesn't look it. Our nickname for her is "SheBuddha".


----------



## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

What. The. Bleep.

I have some choice words for this "friend" of yours, but I think "KARMA!" is a good enough response for now. :evil: Ugh. UGH.

On a happier note, both your cats are gorgeous and they are very lucky to have you!


----------



## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

A long haired Tobe! How cute!!!

Lovely kitties!!! :luv :luv


----------



## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

They are both spectacular! Thanks for sharing their pics!


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Fever Coat in an adult cat:
viewtopic.php?f=4&p=644247









Fever Coat in kittens:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=60785&view=previous























About 6wks later...
_Note the chest area has returned to black and the hindquarters are still turning from the fever coat to black:_









viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59749&start=15








...a few months later:


----------



## stevescott213 (Nov 14, 2008)

beautiful cats


----------



## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

I agree fever coat does sound pretty similar to what happened to Hades, but it has been a year since he started to change. Would it last that long?


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Well, I wouldn't have thought so, but it is obvious that it *has* ... so, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck ... it must be Fever Coat.


----------



## meatballhead73 (Mar 2, 2010)

Your cats are exceptionally beautiful!!!!!! Can I ask how you got Hades up to his 'perfect' weight? My little one is 'petite' as the vet says, being malnourished when we got her, and she eats like a pig but hasn't grown much--we want her to be a giantess!!


----------



## P&R (Sep 10, 2009)

They're so cute, LOVE Hades face!


----------



## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

When I got Hades he was underweight so I started to feed hades about half a cup of food (a fistful) of dry food at 8 am and then again at 9:00 pm. (Not keeping food out at all times also helps me control my kitties weights so they don't become obese and unhealthy) Now that he is at the right weight, I reduced the amount I feed him, but still feed him twice a day since its the schedule he is used to. 

i didn't do much beyond make sure to increase the amount of food given at feeding time. By doing that, and not leaving it out all day, he would be hungry enough to eat his food rather than just pick at it.


----------

