Cactusclaw

**Cactusclaw** is a medium-haired grayish-brown tom with one green eye and torn ears. His other eye was lost in battle.

## History

Spike was born to a rogue she-cat in a hostile and large Twolegplace. His father was absent growing up and his mother cared for him and his brother Chester most of the time, until one day she got up and left. Chester had a mental disability and had difficulties socializing with other cats, and he was often attacked verbally or physically by other rogues. Spike did his best to shield his brother from the abuse but was treated terribly himself for protecting Chester.
Once they were old enough to leave, Spike took Chester away from the Twolegplace and they began a more carefree life living in an old railyard. They taught themselves to hunt, with some difficulty at first. During their hungriest days, the young cats would con other cats and even Twolegs working in the railyard for food. Sometimes, however, they got in trouble, despite Spike's sweet-talking abilities.
After one particular con where Spike and Chester made a break for it with fresh-kill in their jaws, two angry cats chased them over the railroad tracks. One cat caught Chester, who had stumbled, and held him down against the railroad tracks and slashed at his head and ears. Spike managed to throw the other cat off and rush to help his brother. However, a train was coming, and Chester was too injured to move. The two rogues held Spike away from his brother until the train had passed. Chester's death broke Spike's heart and he was forced to leave the new life he had come to love. He buried Chester near the tracks and left to be on his own, blaming his own reckless and foolish ideas for his brother's death.
Spike lived as a lone rogue for many moons and eventually migrated to the Twolegplace near ShadowClan territory. He made peace with the Clan cats out of respect for their strength and a desire to stay safe. He eventually joins Cash's rogue group in order to receive additional protection and camaraderie. However, during his time there, Cash trusted Spike to do his "dirty work" in order to expand the rogues' territory. Cash orders Spike to drive out a young mother and her kits who were trying to find shelter in an old badger den near the rogue camp. Spike does as he is told, but he finds the act to be acutely distressing, especially after seeing the terror on the kits' faces. He begins to notice that Cash never does anything himself except lounging around all day and talking to various she-cats. Spike begins to feel angry that he so closely followed the orders of a cat who didn't know how to act like a true leader, and begins questioning Cash's motives. The two have a stand-off as Cash attacks a ShadowClan patrol for his enjoyment and Spike attacks him, clawing his eye. Cash's eye is injured after this encounter and Spike kills Cash's right-hand cat, Fang, after he tries to kill Nightpaw. Cash swears vengeance against Spike and tells him he hopes that ShadowClan will kill him before running away.
After the battle was won, Spike was asked to join ShadowClan as a warrior by Talonstar and Shrewfur, which he willingly accepted. He was given his warrior name, **Cactusclaw** alongside Nightfire, and swore to serve ShadowClan until his last breath. Cactusclaw eventually becomes trusted and respected by the Clan and he believes his life as a warrior is far more honorable than anything he could have amounted to as a rogue.
He and Nightfire become good friends after they become warriors together. Nightfire becomes an unofficial mentor to Cactusclaw and teaches him ShadowClan's ways and the warrior code. Cactusclaw eventually learns the warrior code and enforces it strongly. He becomes devoted to ShadowClan, and although he prefers peace to war, he thinks protecting his Clanmates is a good reason to fight.
## Trivia

* He is a former rogue but was accepted into ShadowClan because he helped them fight off an opposing group of rogues that was invading their territory.