Loner

Loners are cats living on their own who do not belong in any Clan, are looked after by Twolegs, and don't trouble the Clans.

Definition
There is controversy about the definition of loners and rogues:
 * Most books imply that loners are cats living close to Twolegs but aren't part of a Clan and don't eat Twoleg food such as cats living on a farm, like Barley.
 * The Original Series and Secrets of the Clans call every cat living on its own a loner.
 * In Cats of the Clans, Rock states that loners are cats who live on their own, away from Twolegs, and don't cause trouble. A rogue also lives on his or her own, but causes trouble.

Description
Loners often stake a claim on an area around Clan territory. These places are often near Twolegs, such as on farms, abandoned homes, barns, or any sheltered area. They tend to keep to themselves and stay off Clan territories, and are known more for their independence and friendliness.

Some Clan members find them untrustworthy, but others befriend loners on the off chance that they might be useful allies in the future. Even though most Clan members find them inferior to Clanborns, all Clan cats are decended from five loners: Thunder, Shadow, River, Wind, and Sky, who were the original leaders of the Clans.

In the Books
Loners are less common than kittypets and rogues, but are less likely to experience violence from Clan cats than either of the other classifications.

Canon Loners in the Super Edition Series
Mitzi, Fleck, Soot, Mist, Magpie, and Piper: This group of cats lives on a farm north of WindClan territory. Crookedkit joins them on his way to the moonstone and stays with them for a time.

Canon Loners in the Original Series
Barley and Ravenpaw: Barley lives on a farm near the edge of WindClan territory that Clan cats often pass by on their way to Highstones. After Tigerclaw begins accusing Ravenpaw of numerous crimes, his friends Firepaw and Graypaw take him there to live with Barley in the Twoleg barn, and then tell ThunderClan that he is dead, slain by a ShadowClan patrol.


 * Later, Barley and Ravenpaw help Fireheart and Graystripe as they work to return WindClan from exile during Fire and Ice.


 * Ravenpaw also helps to negotiate peace between ThunderClan and WindClan during A Dangerous Path.


 * Both Ravenpaw and Barley end up fighting side-by-side with the Clans against BloodClan in The Darkest Hour.

Canon Loners in the New Prophecy Series
Ravenpaw: Ravenpaw makes a brief appearance in Midnight, advising Brambleclaw, Feathertail, Tawnypelt, Crowpaw, Stormfur and Squirrelpaw to go to the sun-drown-place by confirming the existence of the dream-place in the real world.

Purdy: In Midnight, Purdy helps the six traveling cats make their way through the Twoleg Place.

Smoky, Daisy, and Floss: In Starlight, once the Clan cats reach the lake, they meet three loners called Smoky, Floss, and Daisy who live at Horseplace. They appear to want to have little to do with the Clan cats.


 * Later, in Twilight, Daisy runs away (managing to end up in ThunderClan) after Floss's kits are taken away by the Twolegs that live near Horseplace, explaining that she did not want to have her kits stolen as well.

Canon Loners in the Power of Three Series
Purdy: In Outcast, Purdy leads the group of cats going to the Tribe of Rushing Water's mountain territory across the Twolegplace and to the edge of the forest by the mountains. He saves Breezepaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw from being killed by a pack of dogs. In thanks for that, Hollypaw gives him her food and removes his ticks with mouse bile.

Sol: In Eclipse, a mysterious loner named Sol shows up and tells ThunderClan about a solar eclipse, which even StarClan had not known about.

In Long Shadows, Sol convinces Blackstar to let him into ShadowClan and tells all of ShadowClan to turn their backs on StarClan because they are just a bunch of dead cats. For a short time ShadowClan goes along with this, but then Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jaypaw, Flamepaw, Dawnpaw, and Tigerpaw create a fake sign from StarClan which brings Blackstar to his senses. He drives Sol out.

Jingo and her group: In Sunrise, the group of ThunderClan cats looking for Sol meet a group of loners led by Jingo, who shelter them and direct them to Purdy and Sol. The patrol brings Purdy and Sol back to ThunderClan; Purdy joins ThunderClan as an elder, while Sol is kept prisoner for suspected murder of Ashfur until he escapes. Sol sheltered in an abandoned Twoleg nest near ShadowClan territory for a short time, and due to the trouble he made for ShadowClan in Long Shadows, all four Clans are angry at him and will not let him back onto the territories.