Medicine cat

Medicine cats are members of a Clan who treat diseases and injuries. They also receive and interpret omens and prophecies from StarClan. They are highly respected by all the Clans.
==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 their Clan's camp, where they sleep, store herbs, and treat wounded or sick cats. Medicine cats are not allowed to take mates or have kits, although this rule was taken away by Patchstar. They are expected to stand apart from Clan rivalries. Medicine cats have a special way of getting their full name, 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. They are deeply respected by their Clanmates and few cats dare to argue with them.
:If a medicine cat resigns from their duties, they must either destroy their flower or request StarClan to return it back into the forest. Although, a medicine cat's apprentice flower fades into their true, predicted colors of what their outcomed training would be once it is destroyed.
==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 while they are pregnant with kits, giving birth, or nursing them
*Check up regularly on the health of Clan cats, (especially queens, elders, and kits)
*Visiting the Moonstone/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 basic battle training in case they need them
*Visiting their ancestors when in a crisis that requires direct communication with StarClan.
==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. While there are usually two medicine cats at most, this is not always the case, and there may even be three at one time. 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. The apprentice has to gather herbs, get water, or do other useful things. They are expected to watch carefully when their mentor is treating a cat, so that when the time comes, they can do it, too.
:ShadowClan trains their medicine cats to fight like warriors, and ThunderClan medicine cats occasionally train their apprentices some fighting moves, such as Blindfall training Leafpaw. 
==Special cases==
:Some cats have been known to exchange their life as a warrior to be a medicine cat (for instance; Razorbite, Rowanstripe, Redwing) while some have life-altering experiences that may cause them to take that path (such as, Leafstep) but this is considered to be very uncommon.
:Though most medicine cats believe in StarClan, a few rare exceptions (e.g. Razorbite), have become medicine cats despite their lack of belief.
:Medicine cats usually keep their role until they die, with the exception of Amberpaw, Leafstep, Smallcloud. However, Leafstep did return to her medicine cat role after the issue of having kits was settled and she was a ThunderClan medicine cat again instead of a warrior along with her former apprentice.
: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.
==Flowers==
===Description===
When a new cat goes to have their Medicine cat apprentice ceremony they receive a flower from StarClan that gives them luck. At first the flower will appear only as white when they are an apprentice, but during their medicine cat ceremony- their flower adapts into their color. The flowers can be found at the moonstone or moonpool and are only given to Medicine cats. The color of the flower represents what kind of gift it brings. If a flower is destroyed or is lost, the medicine cat loses their gift. However, it is possible to retrieve a flower by speaking to StarClan.
===Types of flowers===
====Yellow flower====
Increases luck when finding herbs. It also increases the chance of finding less common herbs. The cats with the yellow flowers are often the ones to leave camp and search for herbs, and are even most likely to discover new herbs, such as demonstrated by Leafpaw. However, if the cat's bond with StarClan is lowered, so is their luck in finding new herbs- and are even more likely to find poisonous or harmful herbs.
====Pink flower ====
Increases luck in treating injury. These cats can quickly identify the problem and find a solution when a cat is injured. Increased luck in successfully treating injuries and preventing injury related death. However, if your bond with StarClan is lowered, so is your luck in treating cats and preventing deaths.
==== Blue flower ====
These cats are very close to StarClan/SoulClan and are more likely to directly speak with them. They are the ones to receive omens most likely if present, these cats are the most respected in the medicine cat group and are the tellers. If they have a bad relationship with their ancestors, they get nightmares, and may affect the cat from outside the dream.
====Purple flower====
Increases luck in treating disease. Decreases the chance of cats deaths, and increases luck in treating diseases. These cats are very calm and know what to say or do whenever there is a feud, or a cat is struggling to calm down, even if not injured or a patient. These cats are seen as mediators, and are extremely clever. They are also the cat to choose when travelling through other Clan's territories and speaking with other medicine cats. However, if their bond with StarClan is negative, they are more likely to cause fueds and arguments, and their luck of treating and diagnosing disease is lowered.
====Red flower====
It is unknown what this flower does or why it is granted, but it is seen as a bad omen. It decreases the chance of luck, and most medicine cats who receive this flower get demoted as it increases chance of injury, disease and death. However, it is a mystery as to why it exists in the first place. There are no good properties for this flower, and even StarClan doesn't have a clue as to why it exists or why it happens. Although most cats get demoted with this flower, cats like Razorbite were allowed to keep their role.
*As of Shattered River, it is heavily implied that the red flower is used in the way the cat believes it to be used. For example, Dawnpelt states that it increased her luck and kept her kits healthy through the healing process. It is possible that the flower positively affects those close to the owner.
*The red flower is more common with ShadowClan medicine cats.
== List of cats with flowers ==
=== Yellow flowers ===
* Leafstep
* Acornpelt
* Foxflower
* Fireflight
* Redwing
=== Purple flowers ===
* Shadedcloud
* Fluffpelt
* Timberfall
* Kestrelbranch
* Bristlesnap
=== Blue flowers ===
* Blindfall
* Bluesight
* Dovepaw
* Graybeam
=== Pink flowers ===
* Cherryfeather
* Amberstorm
*Blackstripe
* Breezetail
=== Red flowers ===
* Razorbite
* Rowanstripe
* Smallcloud
== References and Citations ==
Category:Reference
Category:Clan hierarchy