Medicine cat

Medicine cats are Clan cats who treat diseases and injuries and receive omens from StarClan. They are highly respected within the clan.

Description
Medicine cats are Clan cats who treat diseases and injuries, and who receive directions and guidance from StarClan. They have their own den in the Clan camp, where they sleep, store herbs, and treat wounded or sick cats. Medicine cats are not allowed to take mates or have kits, (so that their work will not be disturbed), although, this has happened before (i.e. Leafpool). They also usually stay outside Clan rivalries. They are deeply respected by their Clanmates and no cat dares argue with them. Though most medicine cats believe in StarClan, a few rare exceptions (i.e. Mothwing), have become medicine cats even though they don't believe in StarClan.

Tasks
Some of a medicine cat's tasks are:
 * Knowing all of the herbs and store a supply of them in their den
 * Treating wounded and sick cats
 * Assisting queens that are giving birth to kits
 * Check up regularly on the health of Clan cats, (especially queens, elders, and kits)
 * Visiting the Clans' sacred place (such as the Moonstone or Moonpool) at every half moon to seek guidance from StarClan
 * Interpreting prophecies and omens and sharing them with the Clan leader
 * Upon the death of the Clan leader, accompany the deputy to the Moonstone or Moonpool to be appointed as the new leader
 * Training an apprentice as the Clan's next medicine cat
 * Bearing the knowledge of battle training in case of emergencies
 * Check up on StarClan to see about the future

Appointment and Education
Kits who wish to become medicine cats are apprenticed at the age of six moons to the Clan's current medicine cat. They are introduced to StarClan as a medicine cat apprentice at the first half moon after they gain apprenticeship. They earn their name at the Moonstone or Moonpool after successfully completing their training, assuming full responsibilities even while their mentor is still alive.

Some cats have been known to exchange their warrior training to be a medicine cat (for instance Littlecloud,Hawkheart, Jayfeather, or Mothwing ) or life-altering experiences may take them on that path (for instance Cinderpelt) but this is considered to be very uncommon.

It is also revealed in Night Whispers that ShadowClan trains their medicine cats to fight.

Special Cases
Medicine cats usually stay a medicine cat until they die with the exception of a few.

The Tribe of Rushing Water
In the Tribe of Rushing Water, the leader and the medicine cat are the same cat.