The Complete Medicine Cat Guide

Herb List

Alder- Tall tree that grows in boggy, wetland areas. Leaves are simple and serrated (toothed). The bark is dark and often covered in moss. Twigs are spotted and sticky to touch. The bark can be eaten or licked to cure a toothache. 

Adder’s Tongue- Found buried in soil, has purple-blotched leaves. Induces vomiting if eaten. Poultice can be applied to swellings and ulcers to treat them.

Beech- Large tree usually with a thick trunk that grows in sandy or chalky soil. Wood is rather smooth and usually somewhat gray in color. Iconic oval leaves with defined straight lines. Leaves are often used to carry medicine supplies. Also can be used as a bowl of sorts. Oil from the nuts can be applied directly to wounds to fight and prevent infection.

Bindweed- A vine-like plant with white, trumpet-like flowers and distinctive arrow-shaped green leaves. Grows almost anywhere like ivy. Vines can be used to tie things, most importantly sticks to broken legs to set the break. 

Blackberry- Also called bramble. Very common and grows in most forests. A stout bush characteristically very prickly. Leaves grow in threes and are olive-green with reddish-brown tinged edges. Younger leaves are completely brown-red. Chewing the leaves into a poultice can be applied to bee stings to bring down the pain and swelling. 

Bloodroot- Grows in rich open forests. Has a wax-like white flower, a single leaf with a pale underside. The roots are orange-red and smell bitter. Very poisonous. 

Borage- Commonly found in gardens and old dwellings. The whole plant is rough with white and prickly hairs. Flowers are blue or purple and star-shaped. Leaves are eaten to stimulate milk in queens. Can also bring down fevers.

Broom- Hardy meadow shrubs with small leaves and tiny yellow flowers that grow upwards in a tall cone. Is used to make poultices for broken bones. 

Burdock- Stout plant with large wavy leaves and purple flowers inclosed in a burr. Found in damp areas. Has a very sharp smell and dark leaves. Leaves can be eaten to treat indigestion. A poultice of chewed root is very important in the treatment of rat bites.

Burnet- Small bush that grows in dry meadows. Has multiple oval-shaped leaves on multiple single stalks. In Leaf-Fall and late Green-Leaf, large clusters of small flower buds grow on the top of the plant. It is eaten as a travelling herb to keep a cat’s strength up. Little is known about it.

Catchweed- A very small weed with fuzzy green orbs that grow tiny white flowers on long stems. Found where ever there is a lot of long grass and low vegetation. Burrs are very rarely used to keep poultices in place without irritating the wound or skin.

Catmint- Also known as catnip. Is very rare to find in the wild and can normally only be found in two-leg gardens. Is a very delicious-smelling plant that is low to the ground and possesses small, bumpy, slightly fuzzy leaves. Are eaten to treat Greencough and Whitecough. Collect in the day so the morning dew will be gone and it won’t rot in storage.

Celandine- An uncommon yellow flower with four petals and long pollen-stems. Has a prickly, fuzzy stem. Found in sunny areas of forests or meadows. Nectar is trickled into damaged eyes.

Chamomile- A small, daisy-like white flower with a large and bulbous yellow center. Has a heavy and sweet smell. Only found in two-leg gardens. Blossoms and petals are eaten to strengthen and calm the heart and mind. Also given for strength when traveling.

Chervil- A sweet-smelling plant that is large and very leafy. Has fern-like leaves and small white flowers. Roots are dark brown, gnarled and knoby. Grows in forests among rocky areas. Leaves are chewed and spit out for the juice on infected wounds. They can also be eaten to sooth a bellyache. They also assist in nausea that sometimes occurs when kitting.

Chickweed- A tall, vibrantly green plant with a hard stem and broad, almond-shaped leaves. Sometimes has tiny, five-petaled flowers. Found in forest areas among rocks. Eaten to treat greencough, but is not as strong as catmint.

Cob Nuts- Smooth, brown nut that is a member of the hazelnut family. Found under hazel nut trees. Chewed and made into ointments that would otherwise be too soupy to apply. Also used to attract prey.

Cobwebs- Webs from a spider, normally old or abandoned. Can be best found in dark and secluded areas. Used like a cloth on open wounds to stop bleeding. Applied to recovering wounds to keep medicine in place or protect the wound.

Coltsfoot- Found the most around wet places. Has iconic hoof-shaped green leaves and fluffy yellow flowers that look similar to dandelions. Leaves can be eaten to cure a cough. A good thing to give to kits that are having trouble breathing or have kitcough.

Comfrey- Small, short plant with very large and broad leaves and very tiny, purple, bell-shaped flowers. Found in damp and grassy areas, mostly where there are a lot of dew-filled mornings. Roots are chewed into a poultice. Treats broken bones, soothes open wounds, applied to wrenched or twisted claws. Leaves ease stiffness in shoulders and legs if lined in a nest.

Coneflower- Rich purple flower whose petals are seated in a high cone. Is very sweet smelling and tasting. Grows in northern rugged areas near short pine trees. Roots and leaves eaten to give strength and disease resistance. 

Daisy- Small plant with a circular, iconic white flower with many petals and a yellow center. Found nearly everywhere. Dark oval leaves are chewed into a paste to apply to aching joints. Can also be eaten to prevent joint pain when traveling. 

Dandelion- A memorable yellow flower with long, weak, hollow stems. A half moon after the weed blooms, the yellow flower turns into a white sphere of minuscule smaller flowers that blow away in the wind. Is extremely, annoyingly common. Liquid within the hollow stems is applied to beestings to help them get better. Leaves can also be eaten to treat pain but taste awful.

Deadly Nightshade- An obviously deadly poisonous plant. It is found under the shade of trees, on wooded hills, and will grow very luxuriantly, forming bushy plants that are several feet high when not exposed to a lot of sun. Leaves are dull, darkish green in color and of unequal size. The lower leaves are solitary. They are all oval in shape and begin off of short petioles (leaf stems). Soft, downy hairs may occur on young stems and leaves. The veins of the leaves are prominent on the underside. The leaves both smell and taste awful and bitter. In Leaf-Fall, around the base of the petioles will grow shining black berries about the size of a small cherry. Despite their sickeningly sweet taste, these berries are the most fatal part of the plant. 

Deathberries (Yew)- A quite large and poisonous plant. Found in most forests. Identifiable by it’s red and stout, pealing trunk and pine-like leaves. It’s red, pitted berries grow on the stems of the needled leaves and are very poisonous to eat. Are sometimes used to end a suffering or old cat’s life, but only if they ask for them.

Dock- A common, large leafed plant with a tangy, almost sour, smell and taste. Doesn’t grow on mountain-sides but is easy to find in leafy, relatively flat forests.Leaves can be applied in a poultice to reduce swelling, help skin issues, and heal broken or injured pads. Stings quite badly when applied. If placed in nests, can sooth the pains of recent wounds.

Elder- A short-trunked, few-branched tree with corky, furrowed bark. It has feather-like leaves with toothed leaflets that smell horrible when touched. It grows in woodlands that are not too cold and have weak winters. It is most commonly found near rabbit holes and badger sets. Can be used to help treat sprains. However, never eat - they cause a horrible unknown sickness. (Cats wouldn't know, but the leaves and most of the other parts of the plant contain cyanide.) Added by ||Stormbird||

Fennel- Has very tiny yellow flower clumps on thin stalks. Very thin and spiky leaves. Grows wild in most temperate areas. Easily fond around streams and on the coast. Juice can be consumed for treatment of chronic coughs (Whitecough mostly) and ease the pain of Blackcough. Eating fennel suppresses hunger. Also helps pain in hips.

Feverfew- Composite plant that grows nearly everywhere, but most commonly near water. Has numerous, small, daisy-like heads of yellow flowers with outer white rays. Leaves are broad and downy. Most commonly eaten to sooth a fever. Also eaten to treat coughs, colds, wheezing, and difficult breathing. Can help with colic. Is very bitter.

Foxglove- A flower that is long and bellshaped. Is pink and hollow. Grows in temperate regions. Tiny black seeds can cause paralysis and heart failure, but in small quantities can treat heart problems.

Goldenrod- Grows on moors. Is a tall plant with clumps of bright, tiny yellow flowers and narrow, pointy leaves. Chewed into a poultice and applied to wounds. Considered the best herb for speeding up the healing of wounds and treating them in general. However is rarely found in forests or mountainsides.

Heather- A common moor plant known for its purple or grayish-purple, tiny clumps of sweet flowers on stalks. Is sometimes used in mixtures to make them easier to eat with their sweetness.

Holly- Plant with shiny, dark green, spiky-edged leaves and plump red berries. Found almost anywhere woody. Berries are very poisonous.

Honey- Golden and sticky liquid made by bees and found in their hives. Taken with bitter herbs to get them down easier. Mixed with some poultices to make them hold to wounds easier. Can be given to kits without someone to suckle from as a nutrient substitute. Is very good for smoke-damaged throats. Also gives energy.

Horsetail- Found in temperate northern regions. Fernlike in appearance with fronds that resemble pine fronds with its needle-like leaves. A decoction applied directly to a wound will help stop the bleeding and promotes a faster healing. Also can reduce eye swelling.

Ivy- Found in vines growing on trees, cliffs, and rocks. Has green leaves with white edges and a half-star shape. Vines still growing on a wall or tree-trunk be used to store herbs.

Juniper Berries- Dark-green bush that grows in areas that aren’t wet. Has very spiky leaves and clumps of purple or blue berries. Berries are eaten to sooth bellyaches. Can be used to give strength and calm cats. Tastes sweet.

Knotgrass- A very common weed found relatively anywhere. The stems can grow up to six feet in length, with leaves that alternate and are stalkless. Leaves are narrow and oval. Roots are very strong and branching. A tonic can be made out of knotgrass to treat diarrhea. It can be directly administered to kill worms and fleas. 

 Terminology

Ingest- To eat or drink, consume.

Sedate- To make sleepy or make fall asleep. To calm.

Tonic- Similar to a poultice, but ingested. Herbal material is crushed or chewed then placed on a broad, cupping leaf where water is applied to make the mixture a drinkable liquid.

Poultice- A soft, moist mass of material, typically of plant material, applied to the body. Medicine cats chew and spit out or crush (depending on the oils in a plant and how they may affect oneself if ingested while chewing) a plant’s leaves, roots, or seeds to be used in a poultice. Sometimes water from moss may be applied to make the poultice more moist. Occasionally honey may be used to make the poultice stick to the body better.

Techniques

- Gently nipping or poking a cat’s spine is done to see if the backbone is broken. Can also be done on the tail or legs to see if they are broken as well. 

- Licking a cat’s fur is done to help clean wounds, calm a cat in shock or grieving, or warm a cat that is extremely cold. Normally kits’ fur is licked the wrong way at birth to help them start to breath and warm them.

- Herbs such as mint and lavender are placed on the dead before burial to hide their death-scent.

- Using honey, plants such as berries or mint, or prey’s blood can be used to make herbs easier to eat.

- Holding a swelling wound in cold water helps soothe and heal the swelling. Cats can also soothe scraped pads by soaking them in water. Suggested by ||Stormbird||

- Soaking moss in water should be used to cool feverish cats or provide for those that are too weak to get their own water.

- Telling a cat to yowl, wail, or yell loudly can sometimes clear their lungs and chest of mucus.

- Patting a descended belly while your ear is pressed up against it can determine if a patient is pregnant, has worms, or is bloated, depending on the sound and feel of the belly. Belly will be hard and sound like distant rushing water if pregnant, will sound dull and have a painful give to it if it is worms, and will sound bubbly if bloated.

- Swimming is great therapy for cats with weak muscles or bones. Also helps elders with inflamed joints or muscles.

- When removing a burr or torn claw, do not pull directly upwards but instead at an angle. This limits pain and makes it slightly easier to remove.

- If any herbs are wet, leave them in the sun to dry. It is best not to harvest herbs in morning or right after a lot of rain. Wet herbs will rot.

- Never completely deplete a herb where it grows so it can grow more later, unless the clan is truly desperate and/or you are positive there is another supply somewhere.

- Berries that are poisonous such as holly and yew berries can be used to kill predators, but can also be used to kill a suffering cat ONLY if they ask for them and you know there is not much else you can do to treat them.

- Its not always best to gather fresh herbs directly when stock of one gets low. Leaving camp too often in search of herbs is inadvisable. Instead, try to plan herb gathering trips when there are three or so piles getting low. Never wait too long however.

- Never give a pregnant cat more than three herbs during their kitting or poppy seeds (as they may become too sedated or sleepy to push). Some herbs and herb combinations will cause them to bleed more or prolong the kitting. Choose which herbs you give to a kitting queen wisely, or give none if it is not truly necessary.

-Vomiting should be induced immediately when it has been found that a cat has eaten something poisonous. Very rarely, this will also be done when a cat has a severe bellyache. Suggested by boredcat11.

Illnesses

Kitcough- An uncommon illness effecting weak kits. Usually happens to kits that had a difficult birth or did not start breathing right away. Identified by a harsh cough that weakens the kit. Usually harmless but very persistent and can lead to weak lungs.

Whitecough- Synonymous to a cold. Characterized by a running nose and eyes and a lasting slight cough. If left untreated, it can turn into Greencough.

Greencough- Similar to the flu. Symptoms include a running nose and eyes, chest pain, slight trouble breathing, a wet and loud cough that produces mucous, and tiredness. Sometimes causes a really bad fever. Can cause death if left untreated.

Blackcough- A horrible but rare disease that can come from nowhere. There is no known cure, only ways to help cope with it. It almost always results in death. It is unlike Whitecough or Greencough and does not come from those illnesses. It begins with chills and a cough with a lack of appetite. Weakness, dizziness, and nausea then ensue along with a worsening cough that results in blackish blood being hacked up. Wheezing and difficulty breathing are the worst part and normally are what kills the ill. It is believed that blood that is coughed up can cause Blackcough in any that touch it. Not formally featured in the Warriors series.

Shock (Emotional)- Can sometimes happen when great trauma has just occurred to an individual. Characterized by a lack of emotion or empathy, denial, ceasing to communicate, and rocking back and forth. Treat with poppy seeds, comfort, and, in extreme cases, valerian.

Shock (Physical)- Occurs due to blood loss and/or extreme pain. Characterized by chills, numbness, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure (not that cats can really check that), and weakness. Is life-threatening because poor blood supply and breathing can lead to cardiac arrest or cellular damage (again, cats wouldn’t know the science behind it but they can know that it kills at least.) Treat by giving water, honey, and small quantities of dry yarrow. Cover and treat any bleeding wounds or broken bones.

Smoke Inhalation- Is caused by the obvious: breathing in smoke. Severity is determined based on the amount of coughing, if wheezing and nausea are present, and listening to victim's chest.

Cloudmouth- Or rabies as it's known in real life. It is to be noted that, as of now, rabies has not been featured in the Warriors books. Credit to the name goes to Darknesque. Cloudmouth is very contagious, spread from the mere bite, scratch, or saliva contact of someone infected. Depending on what stage the infected animal is at when they come in contact with the victim, Cloudmouth can have no symptoms until two weeks to a year after the contamination. Characteristics of this disease include a distinct fear of water, inability to swallow, sleep, drink, or eat, mania, foaming at the mouth (to which the disease is named), paranoia, rage, and, three days to a week after symptoms show, always results in death. There is no treatment as of now. Infected cats should be heavily and carefully sedated and sadly left to die outside of clan territory for the safety of the rest of the clan. If cleared by the clan leader, feeding deathberries to cats with Cloudmouth may be a dire action to take. Those suspected to be infected that still have their sanity should always be asked if they want this option.