| "The bond between medicine cats felt almost stronger than the bond between Clanmates. They shared knowledge and visions warriors would never experience. Their connection with StarClan tied them to one another almost like kin." |
| — Alderheart's thoughts in Darkest Night, page 119 |
Medicine cats are members of a Clan who treat diseases and injuries.[1] They also receive and interpret omens and prophecies from StarClan.[2] They are highly respected by all the Clans.[3]
Quick Answers
What is the role of a medicine cat in a Clan?
In a Clan, a medicine cat is both a spiritual leader and a healer. They interpret omens and prophecies from StarClan, serving as a link between the their Clanmates and their spiritual ancestors. As healers, they gather and store herbs in their den, and diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries in their Clan. Their duties as healers extends beyond their own Clan, and they may be asked to treat cats outside the Clans or rival Clans during times of crisis. Oftentimes, they are are the third most powerful member in the Clan hierarchy, behind the Clan leader and deputy, and they often serve as advisors to the leader and deputy. Occasionally, they can serve as acting leaders in the absence of the leader and deputy, such as the case for Runningnose and Mothwing.
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How do medicine cats receive and interpret omens and prophecies?
Medicine cats have an unique connection with StarClan that typically cannot be taught. This ability enables them to interpret visions and prophecies. They are usually identified early in their youth by their in herbs and peculiar dreams, such as Leafpool, Jayfeather, and Alderheart. Upon receiving a prophecy, medicine cats typically discuss it among themselves before revealing it to their Clans to decipher its meaning. Oftentimes, prophecies and omens become clear only after they've come true.
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Who are some notable medicine cats in the series?
In the series, the very first medicine cats were Moth Flight, Pebble Heart, Cloud Spots, Dappled Pelt, and Micah. Other notable medicine cats in the series include Spottedleaf, Yellowfang, Cinderpelt, Leafpool, Jayfeather, Alderheart, Echosong, Mothwing, Frostdawn, Littlecloud, Flametail, Puddleshine, Shadowsight, and Whistlebreeze.
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What makes the bond between medicine cats stronger than that between Clanmates?
Medicine cats share a unique bond that surpasses typical Clan relationships. Their shared experiences, knowledge, and visions, coupled with their unique connection to StarClan, separate them from regular warriors. They are impartial, treating all cats equally, and their role extends beyond healing to include interpreting visions and warnings from their ancestors. Due to their inability to have mates and kits, medicine cats treat all of their Clanmates as their own kin. Despite its challenges, the role of a medicine cat is respected and honored in Clan culture.
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Description[]
- Medicine cats are Clan cats who treat diseases and injuries, and who receive directions and guidance from StarClan.[2] They have their own den in their Clan's camp, where they sleep, store herbs, and treat wounded or sick cats.[4] Medicine cats are not allowed to take mates or have kits.[5] They are expected to stand apart from Clan rivalries.[6] Medicine cats have a special way of getting their full name,[7] including that this ceremony is performed by the apprentice's mentor instead of the Clan leader. The ceremony takes place during the next half-moon meeting at their sacred Moonstone or Moonpool with the other Clans' medicine cats to cheer their new name, instead of right away in their Clan with their own Clanmates to cheer their new name.[8] They are deeply respected by their Clanmates and few cats dare to argue with them.[9]
Tasks[]
Some of a medicine cat's tasks are:
- Knowing all of the herbs and store a supply of them in their den[10]
- Treating wounded and sick cats[11]
- Assisting queens while they are pregnant with kits, giving birth, or nursing them[12]
- Check up regularly on the health of Clan cats, (especially queens, elders, and kits)[13]
- Visiting the Moonstone/Moonpool at every half-moon to seek guidance from StarClan[14]
- Interpreting prophecies and omens and sharing them with the Clan leader[15]
- Upon the death or retirement of the Clan leader, accompany the deputy to the Moonstone or Moonpool to be appointed as the new leader[16]
- Training an apprentice as the Clan's next medicine cat[17]
- Bearing the knowledge of basic battle training in case they need them[18]
- Visiting their ancestors when in a crisis that requires direct communication with StarClan[19]
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.[20] They are introduced to StarClan as a medicine cat apprentice at the first half moon after they gain apprenticeship.[21] They earn their name at the Moonstone or Moonpool after successfully completing their training,[22] assuming full responsibilities even while their mentor is still alive.[3] While there are usually two medicine cats at most, this is not always the case, and there may even be three at one time.[23] Most of the time, a medicine cat's training takes longer than normal warrior training.
- When an apprentice, the mentor (or full medicine cat), has them do tasks that prepare them for being a full time medicine cat.[24] They also stay as an apprentice for as long as their mentor is still a medicine cat, even after they receive their full name, unlike warrior apprentices.[source?] The apprentice has to gather herbs, get water, or do other useful things.[25] They are expected to watch carefully when their mentor is treating a cat, so that when the time comes, they can do it, too.[26]
- It is also revealed in Night Whispers that ShadowClan trains their medicine cats to fight like warriors,[27] and ThunderClan medicine cats occasionally train their apprentices some fighting moves, such as Cinderpelt training Leafpaw.[28]
- Featherwhisker was also taught to hunt for prey even though it did not follow the basic duties.[29] Leafpool was also capable of catching prey,[30] suggesting that medicine cats are at least taught the basics of hunting.
Special cases[]
- Some cats have been known to exchange their life as a warrior to be a medicine cat (for instance; Littlecloud,[31] Hawkheart,[32] Jayfeather,[33] Mudfur,[34] Mothwing,[35] Spottedleaf,[36] or Yellowfang[37]) while some have life-altering experiences that may cause them to take that path (such as, Cinderpelt[38]) but this is considered to be very uncommon.[39]
- Though most medicine cats believe in StarClan, a few rare exceptions (e.g. Mothwing), have become medicine cats despite their lack of belief.[40]
- Medicine cats usually keep their role until they die, with the exception of Goosefeather,[41] Leafpool,[42] and Runningnose.[43] However, Leafpool did return to her medicine cat role after the issue of having kits was settled in the very end of The Last Hope, and she was a ThunderClan medicine cat again instead of a warrior along with her former apprentice, Jayfeather, in Bramblestar's Storm.[44]
- While medicine cats are not permitted to have mates or kits, cats that have previously had and lost a mate may become medicine cats if they choose, even if they still have kits (e.g. Mudfur).[45]
The Tribe of Rushing Water[]
- In the Tribe of Rushing Water, the leader and the medicine cat are the same cat, known as the Healer, Stoneteller, or Teller of the Pointed Stones.[46] The leader can receive omens from the Tribe of Endless Hunting,[47] just as Clan medicine cats receive dreams from StarClan.[48]
History of ranks[]
Temporary medicine cats are hidden; please toggle to enable them.
| WindClan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Gained rank in... | Left rank in... | Apprentice(s)... |
| Moth Flight | Moth Flight's Vision | Before "The Medicine Cats Decide" | Acorn Fur |
| Swiftfoot | "The Medicine Cats Decide" | Before Cloudstar's Journey | Unknown |
| Thrushpelt | Before Cloudstar's Journey | Before Cloudstar's Journey | Unknown |
| Larkwing | Before Cloudstar's Journey | Before Goosefeather's Curse | Unknown |
| Chiveclaw | Before Goosefeather's Curse | Before Tallstar's Revenge | Hawkheart |
| Hawkheart | Goosefeather's Curse | Before Into the Wild | Barkface |
| Barkface | Tallstar's Revenge | Before The Fourth Apprentice | Kestrelflight |
| Kestrelflight | Before The Fourth Apprentice | - | Whistlebreeze |
| Whistlebreeze | Before River | - | - |
| SkyClan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Gained rank in... | Left rank in... | Apprentice(s)... |
| Micah | Moth Flight's Vision | Moth Flight's Vision | None |
| Acorn Fur | Moth Flight's Vision | Before "Darkstar's Law" | Unknown |
| Twigtail | Before "Darkstar's Law" | Before "The Medicine Cats Decide" | Unknown |
| Quailfeather | Before "The Medicine Cats Decide" | Before "The Defeated Clan" | Unknown |
| Fawnstep | Before Cloudstar's Journey | Before Firestar's Quest | Unknown |
| Brackenheart | Before Firestar's Quest | Before Firestar's Quest | Unknown |
| Sandstorm (unofficial) | Firestar's Quest | Firestar's Quest | Echosong (unofficial) |
| Echosong | Firestar's Quest | Hawkwing's Journey | Frecklewish, Fidgetflake |
| Leafpool (temporary) | Darkest Night | River of Fire | None |
| Frecklewish | Before After the Flood | - | Fidgetflake, Tree (temporary), Rootspring (temporary) |
| Fidgetflake | Hawkwing's Journey | - | Rootspring (unofficial) |
| Puddleshine[50] | Darkest Night | River of Fire | None |
| WarriorClan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Gained rank in... | Left rank in... | Apprentice(s)... |
| Petunia | Graystripe's Vow | - | - |
Trivia[]
- It is possible that StarClan has a lot to do with cats being born with the ability to communicate with them, and that they are too wise to have too many talented cats born at once.[blog 1]
- Kate believes there was never an official "rule of two" for medicine cats, meaning there could only be one mentor and apprentice at a time. She suspects they were "just conventions which are adapted to current circumstances". Clans changed their status quo as their needs and attitudes of their members changed.[blog 2]
See also[]
- Medicine
- Diseases and injuries
- Medicine cat ceremony
- List of medicine cats
- List of medicine cat apprentices
External links[]
The Role of a Medicine Cat on Warriors official website (backup link)- More than just blood on Warriors official website (backup link)
A place of endless night on Warriors official website (backup link)- The ranks of the Clans on Warriors official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Revealed in Into the Wild, page 43
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Revealed in The Sight, page 49
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Revealed in The Sight, page 50
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 62
- ↑ Revealed in Starlight, page 272
- ↑ Revealed in A Dangerous Path, page 54
- ↑ Revealed in Erin Hunter Chat 1
- ↑ Revealed in Starlight, pages 285-287
- ↑ Revealed in Eclipse, page 237
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 315
- ↑ Revealed in Dawn, page 176
- ↑ Revealed in Twilight, page 311
- ↑ Revealed in Sunrise, page 102
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 179
- ↑ Revealed in Midnight, page 112
- ↑ Revealed in The Darkest Hour, page 35
- ↑ Revealed in Forest of Secrets, page 84
- ↑ Revealed in The Fourth Apprentice, page 240
- ↑ Revealed in Sunrise, page 78
- ↑ Revealed in Sunset, page 151
- ↑ Revealed in Sunset, page 199
- ↑ Revealed in Long Shadows, page 253
- ↑ Revealed in The Apprentice's Quest, chapter 4
- ↑ Revealed in Dark River, page 101
- ↑ Revealed in Dark River, page 205
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 163
- ↑ Revealed in Night Whispers, page 64
- ↑ Revealed in Moonrise, page 100
- ↑ Revealed in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 222
- ↑ Revealed in Squirrelflight's Hope, page 276
- ↑ Revealed in A Dangerous Path, page 55
- ↑ Revealed in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 129
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 260
- ↑ Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 374
- ↑ Revealed in Midnight, page 50
- ↑ Revealed in Spottedleaf's Heart, chapter 8
- ↑ Revealed in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 364
- ↑ Revealed in Forest of Secrets, page 175
- ↑ Revealed in Into the Wild, page 91
- ↑ Revealed in Starlight, page 39
- ↑ Revealed in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 470
- ↑ Revealed in Sunrise, pages 306-207
- ↑ Revealed in Firestar's Quest, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Bramblestar's Storm, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in the Warriors App
- ↑ Revealed in Outcast, page 52
- ↑ Revealed in Outcast, page 53
- ↑ Revealed in Night Whispers, page 102
- ↑ Revealed in River of Fire, allegiances
- ↑ Puddleshine became one of the SkyClan medicine cats following ShadowClan's merge with SkyClan, and left the position following ShadowClan's revival.[49]
Author references
