Can Blind/Deaf Cats Actually Become Warriors?

That sounds like it could actually be plausible. It reminds me of this AU where all of the clans work together in unity, and a cat can choose what clan they best fit in. For example, if a cat in Thunderclan thinks they could do better in Riverclan, they could move over there with the consent of BOTH leaders. It was a good AU.

Yes. I’m fairly certain the writers don’t consider actual disabled cats, especially ones with three legs. Blind and deaf cats do alright for themselves.

Also the “well they couldn’t hunt/fight so they’d be useless” argument is, and Im sorry, absolutely stupid. There’s more to being a warrior than just hunting and battling. That sounds like a shitty existence for anyone.

Oh, I wasn't trying to refer to you there, I'm sorry! It's just the most common argument for disabled cats not becoming warriors, so I thought it might be worth bringing up before someone else inevitably does lol

You're right, I do also think that more job diversity in Warrior culture could fix these problems for disabled cats by giving them more options besides warrior and medicine cat.

I think disabled cats (depending on the handicap) can do at least some of the jobs as able warriors, but that's part of the issue. They can only fulfill part of the responsibility. It can lead to a feeling of second-class citizen or inferiority to constantly be surrounded by cats who have to do part of your job (even if they don't mind). The helplessness of not risking your life like the rest of your clanmates in battle or being able to hunt when friends are starving to death.

I'm not saying that actually makes them lesser, but it definitely contributes to low esteem. It's why characters like Jayfeather and Cinderpelt would rather be a medicine cat, a job they can do 100%, than to settle for being half a warrior. People want to feel like they pull their weight, even if it means abandoning their dream. Just fixing leaking roofs isn't enough, they need a job they can feel irreplaceably good at.

I agree career diversity would solve part of the issue, though. A deaf cat can specialize in, say, tracking or tree climbing as well as (or perhaps better) than their clanmates.

Briarlight could have trained her tail to maybe become a replacement leg?

I never understood the debate about this a couple of months back and I thought many fans were overreacting. The only disabled cat I feel was treated badly was Snowkit. Everyone else had a good life. Jayfeather became a respected medicine cat and saved the Clans, all the Clans loved Cinderpelt, and everyone loved Briarlight. Why did everyone make a big deal about this? It's just cat books. It's Briarlight wars 2012 all over again, lol. Nobody was treated like shit.


Anyway, to answer your question, I really don't think it'll work. If anyone had to go on patrol sometimes there's fighting. The rival Clan would know nothing about their disability. Yes, a blind cat might be able to sense someone behind them, but they wouldn't be able to see how the cats were attacking the victim. Remember when Jaypaw needed help to fight? Yes, he managed to be in a battle without getting too much damage, but he needed help, and Lion ended up telling him where Owlpaw was. A blind cat would need someone's support. This has already been proven to be difficult with Jay.

Now for being deaf.... It's possible this could work, but remember there's "tools" the cats can use. We've seen them using sand and getting them in their eyes. And what if someone clawed their eyes so they can win the battle? Cats have been dishonorable and gruesome before; just look at Scorchfur. He nearly blinded Tawnypelt out of stress.

So, no, I don't think a blind or a deaf cat could work. They'd need help. And if these cats even met any of them at Gatherings, the rival Clans could take advantage of their disability and hurt them.

It's dangerous for them to be out in patrol and not worth the risk. There's been fighting over stupid shit before (remember that one time in The Forgotten Warrior when Ivypool and Birchfall almost started a fight for washing their paws? Even Sorreltail called them stupid for that) so it really isn't worth the risk to take them on patrols. They're best assisting inside the Clan, like what Briarlight did with Jayfeather.

Please don't take this personally btw, I'm just saying my opinion. I'm not attacking anyone. I just think the fandom takes these books way too seriously sometimes, and it's starting to become frustrating now.

They missed an opportunity with this on Jayfeather and Hollyleaf switching their roles. Would've been more interesting to see then both overcome their hurdles rather than "follow your true destiny laid before you!"

Like imagine the Hollyleaf drama if she was actually a Medicine cat, spicy.

 I think people have a right to be frustrated when a children's series has inappropriate messages. I think most of the fandom takes it way too far (that ableism hashtag a few weeks ago made me want to claw my eyes out), but there are DEFINITELY incidences that are worth making a fuss over. We have repeated occurrences of a disabled cat not given help due to sheer laziness (you're too hard to train, so go be a medicine cat-- Cinderpelt and Alderheart), an extremely ableist society that doesn't ever change that aspect of themselves, and at least one incident of a disabled kitten being killed because of their disability. 

If these were adult books, it'd be one thing. You can get a lot more nuance into your portrayal of disability when you can assume your readership is primarily adults who have already formed their view of the world and aren't impressionable. In an adult book, the Snowkit thing would be bad, but everyone would see it as such and take it more as a sign of how harsh life in the wild is (which is likely what it was intended to be). In a children's book, you've essentially told a young deaf reader that cats like them don't survive, which is a really shitty message to send. 

Hell, I read AVoS as a late teenager and I was still massively put off by Alderheart's situation. It's one of the only things in Warriors that I find actually offensive. Seeing a character suffer from the same illness as me be told "you suck at everything, go do something else" and being forced to be a medicine cat while literally begging and screaming not to? That hurt, man. 

Basically what I'm trying to say is that "these are just children's books" is the exact reason so many people get upset about these things. 


Though I will say Briarlight is actually very well-written (lack of research notwithstanding), and I never got the outrage around Jayfeather. Both of these cats were portrayed as well as possible while still taking the realistic disadvantages they face into account.