Diseases and injuries

Cats living in the wild often fall as victims to a number of diseases and injuries. It is the job of the Clan's medicine cat to treat these conditions.
==Diseases and conditions==
===Chest infections===
:Whitecough and greencough are the most common chest infections known to the Clan cats. Whitecough is the milder form, but if untreated, it can develop into the much more severe greencough. Cats usually catch it during leaf-fall and leaf-bare, and sometimes it develops into large-scale epidemics. It can be fatal for elders and kits, and it has claimed the lives of many cats. It spreads quickly and is highly contagious. Cats with greencough have white patches in their throat.
:Catmint is the most effective treatment for greencough. If fevers accompany the cough, tansy or borage is used as well.
*In Into the Wild, a disease named kitten-cough is mentioned. Runningnose talks about a herb used to cure it, though it has disappeared since Twolegs came to the forest.
*In Moonrise, Mothwing mentions blackcough as a form of chest infection.
*In Moth Flight's Vision, Micah mentions that redcough was an illness in the farm where a cat coughed up blood. It is also mentioned by Thunderstar in Thunderstar's Echo.
*In Thunder and Shadow, a disease by the name of yellowcough infects and kills several cats in ShadowClan, and is curable only by a plant named lungwort. It causes a loss of appetite, fever, difficulty breathing, delirium, and sore throats.
===Poisoning===
:Poisoning is the ingestion of a substance that causes harm to the body, such as:
*Eating or drinking poisonous substances or plants such as deathberries. Kits are the ones who usually fall victim to this, being curious and unaware of the danger.
*Eating poisoned or rotten prey or drinking tainted water.
*Inhaling too much smoke from a fire.
*Being bitten by a venomous animal such as a snake.
:If only a small quantity of poison is ingested, the cat usually just receives a bellyache, but larger amounts can cause death. Medicine cats can induce vomiting with yarrow leaves to force their patients to expel ingested poison, while mild bellyaches can be treated with watermint, chervil root, or juniper. If a cat has been severely poisoned, they may become unconscious for a length of time.
===Rat borne infections===
:The cats sometimes fall victim to infections carried by ill rats, such as the unnamed Carrionplace sickness from the Carrionplace. As ShadowClan cats sometimes ate the rats from the Carrionplace, they were prone to catch these diseases. This happens in Rising Storm, when two ShadowClan cats, Littlecloud and Whitethroat, come to ThunderClan for help because their Clan is in chaos from the deadly and contagious disease. Yellowfang sends them away because she doesn't want ThunderClan to become infected, but Cinderpelt takes pity and helps them, eventually finding a cure through a combination of herbs. Several cats die from the infection, including Nightstar and Cinderfur. Burdock root is used to stop infection from rat bites.
===Loss of sensory perception===
:A cat may lose their eyesight or hearing due to old age as One-eye of ThunderClan did before her death, or from accidents and infections, or birth defects. These conditions usually end their career as a warrior, as they cannot hunt or fight efficiently, and must retire as elders, such as Longtail. Kits born with defects usually die young, unless they have special skills compensating for it, like in Jayfeather's case. Kits that are white with blue eyes have a higher chance of being born deaf, like Snowkit and Featherkit.
===Joint aches===
:A condition usually associated with elders, the joints gradually degenerating with age, causing pain and difficulty to move. Damp environments can cause the appearance of this condition, so apprentices must make sure that the moss they gather for bedding is completely dry. It is usually treated using daisy leaves or juniper berries.
===Toothache===
:A toothache is caused by a cracked tooth, cavities, or an infection in the mouth. Alder bark is used to soothe the pain.
===Fever===
:Fever is an abnormally high temperature of the body. It is not a disease in itself, but it usually signs the presence of an infection, such as greencough or an infected wound. If needed, it can be treated with feverfew and borage.
===Chills===
:Chills are mostly associated with cold weather or being submerged in cold water for a long period of time. Although this condition is mild and is not a disease, it has claimed the life of Mosskit. Kits and elders are more at risk of dying when they get a chill. Licking a cat's fur the wrong way gets the blood flowing again. Feverfew is a good remedy.
===Other diseases===
:Several other diseases were mentioned in the books; however, the cats do not have names for them. Examples include the conditions of Pebblefur, Shellheart, Tawnyspots, Leopardstar,Revealed on Vicky's Facebook Petalfall, Ravenpaw, and Nightstar.
==Injuries==
===Wounds===
:Wounds are injuries when the skin and the muscles beneath are torn, cut, burned or punctured. They may put a cat's life in danger due to blood loss, infections, or the damage of the organs. Wounds are the most common injuries, due to the nature of the cats often fighting rival Clans, or enemy animals such as badgers, foxes, or dogs. Fatal wounds can also occur during childbirth.
:Minor wounds heal on their own in no time, but severe wounds must be treated by a medicine cat. This treatment includes cleaning it thoroughly with the tongue, stopping the bleeding by pressing cobwebs or moss on it, and applying poultices to prevent infection and help it to heal. Herbs used in the poultices often include goldenrod, marigold, or in the case of rat bites, burdock root or wild garlic. If the wound becomes infected, chervil or horsetail is used as well. The pain can be eased with poppy seeds.
===Sprains===
:Sprains are injuries to ligaments of a joint, caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity and possibly torn. It causes severe pain and decreased ability to move the joint. The cat must rest for several days.
===Joint dislocation===
:Joint dislocation is the displacement of a bone from its normal joint. Medicine cats treat this condition by first feeding the patient poppy seeds to make them sleepy so they don't feel it as much, though they may not to keep the patient awake if they suffered head injuries. Medicine cats then force the limb back into the joint and while it is very painful in the moment, it is temporary. The injured cat will be able to use their limb right after, though the muscles may need time to heal properly if they were torn. Medicine cats learn the placement of bone structures by studying prey skeletons.
===Cracked pads===
:The paw pads may crack while walking long distances on hard surfaces, or due to cold weather. Elders are especially prone to this condition. It is treated with a poultice of coltsfoot or yarrow. Dock leaf poultices are also used to cool cracked pads. 
===Broken bones===
:A broken bone is usually the result of an accident, such as falling down from a high place,. Cats most often break their legs, and while medicine cats try to bind the bone with cobwebs or a stick and leaves making a makeshift cast, the injury usually results in the cat remaining disabled for the rest of their life. Only a few of these disabled cats survive, the best known being Cinderpelt.
:A more severe injury is when a cat breaks their backbone. This results in the cat being unable to feel or move parts of their body. If the break is bad enough the cat will be killed on or shortly after impact. Briarlight broke her backbone, and as a result, her back legs no longer functioned and she had no control over her bowel movements. Wildfur also broke his backbone, and since he only sat in his nest all day, he got fluid in his lungs and eventually died from not exercising.
===Burns===
:Besides wounds, burns also cause a cat's fur to be singed or burnt away. The fur usually grows back in a moon, however, if the burn is severe enough, the resulting infection can prevent fur growth.
==Book mentions==
===Chest infections===
Chest infections mentioned in the Warriors books come in three stages; whitecough, greencough and blackcough.
*In Bluestar's Prophecy, Featherwhisker dies from greencough.
*In Crookedstar's Promise, Willowbreeze, Willowkit, and Minnowkit all die from greencough.
*In Fire and Ice, one of Brindleface's kits dies, and Bluestar loses a life to greencough.
*In A Dangerous Path, Crookedstar loses his last life to greencough.
*In Sunset, Heavystep supposedly dies from greencough.
*Between Sunset and The Sight, Molepaw dies from greencough.
*In The Sight, Brackenfur and Birchfall are treated for whitecough, and later there is a greencough outbreak in all four Clans.
*One of the largest known epidemics occurred in Long Shadows, where several of ThunderClan cats, including Firestar himself, fell ill with greencough. It starts with Millie and Briarkit before quickly spiraling out of control, giving signs as to just how fast the sickness can spread, and it infects Thornclaw, Dustpelt, Longtail, Honeyfern, Rosekit, Firestar, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Spiderleg. The sick cats are isolated at the abandoned Twoleg nest to avoid the healthy cats catching the disease. No single-lifed cat dies, although Firestar loses a life.
*In Bramblestar's Storm, Hazeltail, Toadstep, and Icecloud are all mentioned to have died from greencough.
*In Thunder and Shadow, Spiderleg is mentioned to have died from greencough.
*In Sky, Rowankit dies from greencough, and later Owlstar lies to the Gathering, saying Mistystar died from greencough.
*In Code of the Clans, it mentions Snowstar, Brightwhisker, and Poppydawn dying from greencough.
===Poisoning===
*In Thunder Rising, Gray Wing develops asthma after inhaling smoke from the forest fire, he manages to survive longer than expected, but succumbs to his asthma in Path of Stars.
*In Mapleshade's Vengeance, Frecklewish is blinded by snake venom, and later dies of the poison.
*In Bluestar's Prophecy, Rosepaw, Sweetpaw, and Bluefur all share a bad mouse and get sick. Sweetpaw dies from this, but Bluefur and Rosepaw survive. Earlier, when Bluekit and Snowkit are in Goosefeather's den, he mentions that Smallear was bitten by an adder, but he would survive.
*In Fire and Ice, Fireheart grimaces when he thinks about telling Bluestar of Tigerclaw's treachery. Graystripe sees his friend's face and asks if he has maggot-gut.
*In Forest of Secrets, Cloudkit attempts to eat deathberries and receives a stern lecture from Cinderpaw. Yellowfang kills her son Brokentail by feeding him deathberries.
*In Rising Storm, Halftail, Patchpelt, and Yellowfang die after inhaling too much smoke from the fire.
*In The Darkest Hour, Darkstripe feeds Sorrelkit deathberries, and she almost dies, but later recovers.
*In Moonrise, Runningbrook and Sorrelshine of WindClan and Dappletail of ThunderClan die after eating rabbits poisoned by Twolegs.
*In Starlight, Mothwing accidentally brings back tainted water to the elders, and they all get a bellyache.
*In Twilight, Dawnflower's kits, and some RiverClan cats, including Beechpaw, ingest a foul-smelling liquid that later causes Tumblekit's and Ivytail's deaths.
*In Sunrise, Honeyfern dies after a snake bites her.
*In The Forgotten Warrior, Mousewhisker and Cherrypaw almost die from consuming water hemlock, thinking it was parsley.
*In The Raging Storm, Juniperclaw poisons a vole and Sparrowpelt eats it, resulting in him getting incredibly sick but is saved by Frecklewish.
*In Cats of the Clans, it is mentioned that Adderkit died after an adder had bitten him.
===Rat borne infections===
*In Rising Storm, Nightstar, Cinderfur, and several other ShadowClan cats die from ShadowClan's Great Sickness.
*In Midnight, Tawnypelt gets an infected wound after a fight with rats.
*In Onestar's Confession, Stagleap dies of a rat-borne infection.
===Loss of sensory perception===
*In Bluestar's Prophecy, Whitepaw is blinded in one eye after a fight with a badger.
*In Into the Wild, One-eye is described as being virtually blind and deaf due to old age.
*In Fire and Ice, Brokenstar is blinded by Yellowfang as punishment for his evil deeds.
*In A Dangerous Path, Snowkit is revealed to be deaf. Although his mother tries to train him to be a warrior, he is taken away by a hawk. Dappletail tells about her own first litter; one of her kits was born deaf, and later it disappeared, thought to be taken by a fox.
*In Firestar's Quest, Longtail is blinded after a rabbit scratches his eyes.
*In Leafpool's Wish, Jaykit is revealed to be blind.
*In Dark River, Rock is mentioned to be blind because of old age.
*In Hawkwing's Journey, Fallowfern is revealed to have lost her hearing.
*In Thunder and Shadow, Rain loses one of his eyes after challenging Darktail.
*In Squirrelflight's Hope, Millie is revealed to be nearly deaf because of old age. Later, one of Strikestone's ears is shredded, making him deaf in one ear.
===Joint aches===
*In Forest of Secrets, Smallear's joints are stiff, and Yellowfang says they are the worst case she has seen in moons.
*In Midnight, Speckletail complains of aching joints due to damp weather.
*In Sunrise, Mousefur complains of aching joints due to a cold draft.
*In The Forgotten Warrior, Sorreltail has stiffness in her hip joints.
===Cracked pads===
*In Forest of Secrets, One-eye has cracked pads from the cold.
*In The Darkest Hour, Mistyfoot has sore, cracked pads.
*In Firestar's Quest, Firestar and Sandstorm get sore pads after walking on rocks.
*In Sunset, Goldenflower complains of cracked pads.
*In Sunrise, Purdy gets cracked pads from cold weather.
===Wounds===
*In The Darkest Hour, Tigerstar loses all of his nine lives due to a single wound.
*In Dovewing's Silence, Firestar, Sorreltail, and Foxleap are revealed to have all died from injuries caused in the Great Battle.
===Joint dislocation===
*In The Sun Trail, Hawk Swoop has a dislocated shoulder after fleeing from some sheep.
*In Moonrise, Mousefur gets a dislocated shoulder after fighting Twolegs.
*In Twilight, Rainwhisker's shoulder is dislocated in the fight with the badgers.
*In SkyClan's Destiny, Sagepaw has a dislocated leg after falling off the highest cliff.
*In The Apprentice's Quest, Sparkpaw dislocates her leg after falling out of a tree.
===Broken bones===
*In The Sun Trail, Jagged Peak breaks a leg after falling out of a tree.
*In Moth Flight's Vision, Wind Runner breaks her leg in battle.
*In Crookedstar's Promise, Crookedkit breaks his jaw after falling off a rock.
*In Fire and Ice, Cinderpaw breaks a leg after being hit by a monster.
*In Dark River, Cinderpaw breaks the same leg Cinderpelt did from falling out of the Sky Oak, but later recovers and earns her name in honor of her strength.
*In Fading Echoes, Briarlight's backbone is broken after being crushed by a falling tree, but she survives and earns her warrior name. Littlecloud mentions a ShadowClan cat, Wildfur, who also broke his backbone. However, he did not survive, as he got a chest infection.
*In Darkest Night, Snowbush breaks his leg after a rockslide occurs in the ThunderClan camp. However, he gets an infection from it, and dies afterwards.
*In Battles of the Clans and Cloudstar's Journey, Mousefang breaks her leg while fighting Amberclaw by jumping out of a tree.
===Burns===
:
==Trivia==
===Interesting facts===
*Whitecough and greencough are like a cough and pneumonia, respectively.
===Author statements===
*Greencough's original name was blackcough. The name was changed before publishing "Into the Wild", as it was thought that the new name reflected the disease better. Vicky stated that the mention of blackcough by Mothwing was an oversight on their part.Revealed on Vicky's Facebook .
===Continuity===
*In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide:
**The first ThunderClan medicine cat, Cloud Spots, discovered that catmint was the best remedy for greencough. ShadowClan's first medicine cat, Pebble Heart, was the first to discover the rats from the Carrionplace as the source of the mysterious sickness, but he later died from it.
**Lizardstripe dies from greencough.
==See also==
*Medicine
==Notes and references==
cs:Nemoci a zraněníde:Krankheiten und Verletzungenes:Enfermedades y lesionesfi:Sairaudet ja vammatfr:Maladiesnl:Ziektes en verwondingenru:Болезни и травмыpl:Chorobyuk:Ліки медикотів
Category:Reference