Moonpaw's Medicine Cat Guide

Ok, so, um, the other day, I went to OCland and a grumpy black cat taught me how to write, so I'm going to write down everything I need to be a good medicine cat!

Quick Reference
♠ Aching Joints

♠ Very common in the elders of a clan/tribe.This most commonly known as Arthritis. It is caused by cold weather, damp nests, and plain old being elderly.

Symptoms: Joints in the body become stiff and sore. Swelling/inflammation can happen.

Best Treatment: Burdock root & daisy leaves, nettle leaves & goldenrod.

♠ Torn Claw ♠ In this case the carotene (the part of the claw that contains blood vessels) of the claw has been broken or caught on something. This is very common. Given a few days time this will heal quickly.

Symptoms: broken layers of carotene, victim limping, swelling, pain, some bleeding.

Best Treatment: Marigold, poppy seeds, and cobwebs.

♠ Sores ♠ Similar to a bruise. The skin has become raw due to rough activity. It is not a serious illness/injury, but it is best to get it treated.

Symptoms: Skin is red and raw, cat's in pain and stiff.

Best Treatment: Simply give them poppy seeds and rub the tender area with chewed up comfrey.

♠ Toothache ♠ Toothaches happen when there is a loose tooth, cavity, or gum disease. This best to be treated as quickly as possible.

Symptoms: Loose tooth/teeth, hole in teeth/tooth, or inflammation of the gums. Pain is present.

Best Treatment: For cavities it is best they are pulled out while cat is restraint, other two you can just give alder bark/tansey/broom.

♠ Tummy Ache

♠ This is very common. . . most of all in kits. They just don't know that the crowfood is not for eating!This can happen if a cat has eaten too much or ate something unpleasant. This can also be a symptom for more serious illnesses too, so double check the facts.

Symptoms: Aching/Cramping pains in the stomach.

Best Treatment: Watermint & Chervil Root, Juniper Berries & Poppy seeds.

♠ Aches/Pains ♠

This is also very common. This tends to happen if a cat pushed his/her self too hard in training/hunting/fighting. It can also happen in elders when they simply tend to ache - or a day after a big battle.

Symptoms: Sore, stiff, and reluctant to move or do anything.

Best Treatment: Give them some poppy seeds and order them a day of bed rest(if the pain is bad enough).

♠ Thorns

♠ This is also common. A cat will have anywhere to a single thorn to more then one stuck in the skin. This very painful!

Best Treatment: Pull the thorn(s) out immediately!Then treat the wound.

♠ Cuts

♠ Again, very common. This can happen to kits when they play too hard or an apprentice/warrior trying too hard as well. It can happen in battle, also.

Best Treatment: Simply use marigold or garlic after rubbing it down with a dock leaf. Cover with cobwebs.

♠ Swelling ♠ This happens all the time with all times of injuries, bruises, and infections.

Symptoms: Inflammation & pain.

Best Treatment:Chewed alder bark & goldenrod(juice), nettle leaves & poppy seeds.

♠ Fever / Headache ♠ In this case the cat has fallen ill or suffering from infection or heat stroke or lack of liquids. They will feel hot and their head will hurt.

Symptoms: stand sunlight and sounds. dizzy. Best Treatment: Drink plenty of water, nettle leaves & poppy seeds, borage leaves & willow bark.
 * Headache; pain, can't
 * Fever; Sweating, hot,

♠ Cough ♠ An irritation of the throat/lungs. Caused commonly by illness. Most commonly gained during leafbare. (Scroll down for Whitecough, Greencough, and Blackcough.)

Best Treatment: Honey(for dry throat) & tansy.

♠ Trouble Sleeping ♠ In this case the cat is stressed, over-worked, having nightmares, is very depressed, or very ill.

Best Treatment: Ragwort, poppy seeds, or chervil root.

♠ Low on milk ♠ This happens only for queens near kitting or have kits.

Best Treatment: Give the queen borage leaves to increase milk flow.

♠ Asthma / Trouble breathing ♠ When a cat has asthma or trouble breathing this can be life threatening. Their breathing becomes rapid and unsteady. This can also be effected my allergies and kitting.

Symptoms: Rapid and unsteady breaths, wheezing. Best Treatment: It is best to give coltsfoot and/or juniper berries. For kitting queens give coltsfoot.

♠ Bee / Wasp sting ♠ This sometimes happens to the younger cats and kittens. This happens when a bee/wasp is defending itself.

Best Treatment: Remove the bee stingers (if bee) gingerly as possible without squeezing the venom sack. Nettle leaves & poppy seeds or dandelion stems (liquid inside) & alder bark.[/i]

♠ Ticks / Fleas ♠ For this simply use mouse bile to shoo those pesky bugs out of your fur.

♠ Rash ♠ A rash happens when a cat has scratched too much, allergy, or too hot.

Symptom: Red, tender area. Best Treatment: Nettle leaves & poppy seeds, goldenrod juice & burdock root.

♠ Cracked Paws ♠ This happens when the skin has grown hard or too tender, causing it to crack and bleed.This is most common in the elders.If not treated infection can kick in.

Best Treatment: Goldenrod juice and garlic and cobwebs.

♠ Chill (Cold / Flu) ♠ This happens the most when a cat falls into the water or it is freezing cold outside.This illness is minor but can turn into deadly hypothermia or minor whitecough if not treated.

Symptoms: The cat will have chills, mild fever, stuffy/runny nose, aches, sneezing, and feel tired.Best Treatment: Honey(throat), poppy seeds, water & bed rest, feverfew/lavender.[/i]

♠ Irritated throat / Smoke Inhalation ♠ A tender/raw, sore throat can be caused by a number of things. The most common being illness, allergies, or breathing in smoke from a fire. This illness is very mild.

Symptoms: The throat will be a bit swollen or red and will be ether dry,itchy,sore, or painful. Best Treatment: Give them honey and if they breathed in smoke, give coltsfoot or juniper berries too.

♠ Aching/Infected eyes ♠ Another common ailment but happens more often in greenleaf and newleaf. The eyes will be be try/watery and will have a hard time opening and closing the eyes. In a case of infection the eyes will be red and the skin tender/swollen and may even bleed!

Best Treatment: Celandine and eyebright/garlic/dried oak leaves.

♠ Bleeding ♠ This happens when a cat has been wounded.

Best Treatment: Marigold and cobwebs.

♠ Shock / Anxiety ♠ This happens when a cat has been badly injured, has a phobia, or witnessed a stressful/frightening sight. For this the victim must take extra caution not to do more damage if the cat is injured.

Symptoms: They'll be unresponsive or very jumpy/timid and fear-scent can be detected some times. Best Treatment: Lavender, thyme leaves, or tansy.

♠ Wound ♠ This can be anywhere from minor to critical.But in any case it should be treated quickly so not to let infection start.

Best Treatment: Alder bark(chewed) & bay leaves, garlic & horsetail, or marigold/pot marigold and comfrey root.Apply cobwebs after.

♠ Infection

♠ This happens when a wound has been left untreated. This is most common after being bitten by a rat. This best to be treated immediately for it can be deadly!

Symptoms: Bad stench, pus, pain, raw/tender skin, and fever(if bad enough).

Best Treatment: Horsetail & chervil leaf juice or burdock root & marigold.

♠ Juvenile Kidney Disease

♠ I'm not quite sure if this has ever popped up, but just in case. Medicine cats don't have a set name for this illness. A cat will die from this if it is bad enough.

Symptoms: Dehydration, vomiting, weakness, loss of ability to pass "dirt", softening of pads causing cracked pads.

Best Treatment: Crushed beech leaves(eaten), no true cure for this ailment.

♠ Carrionplace Disease

♠ Out of all the clans, hose outcasts knows it the best. This happens when the cats get careless and brings back an infected rat or comes in contact with one with the ailment. This illness is similar to greencough but is dangerous and it comes with an unbearable stench!

Symptoms: Troubled breathing, violent coughing fits, fever, loss of hunger, lack of sleep, exhaustion.

Best Treatment: Borage, coltsfoot, angelica(only for this illness), juniper berries, honey, and feverfew.

♠ Poison ♠ This happens when a cat eats a toxic plant (there are A LOT!) or bitten by a venomous snake. This is to treat quickly or the cat has a high chance of being dead very, very soon!

Symptoms: Dizziness, aches & pains,headaches,fever,sweating,loss of consciousnesses.

Best Treatment: Snakeroot or/and yarrow. If not at paw use another herb that can expel the toxins.

♠ Broken bones

♠ A injury most common if hit by a monster or falling from an extreme height or a severe beating.

Symptoms: Swelling in the area, pain, resistance to walk/run/move.

Best Treatment: Put the bone back in place then use the following herbs; poppy seeds & birch bark(moist), broom & horsetail.Apply a splint after words.

♠ Kittencough ♠ An illness that effects the respiratory system that only kittens get.

Symptoms: Similar to that of Whitecough.

Best Treatment: Coltsfoot, garlic,feverfew/lavender, and nettle.

♠ Whitecough ♠ Very similar to the flu and kittencough, a common ailment. It can, however, turn into ether greencough or deadly blackcough if left untreated.

Symptoms: Sneezing, coughing, runny nose, feel tired, and have a slight fever.

Best Treatment: Catnip, feverfew/lavender, honey, poppy seeds (induces sleep), water, bed rest.

♠ Greencough

♠ This illness is comes when whitecough hasn't been treated soon enough. It is similar to pneumonia. Very contagious; cats with this MUST be separated from the other cats. Normally caught during freezing conditions. Can turn into fatal blackcough!

Symptoms: Sluggishness,fever,wheezing, and phlegm streaming from nose & mouth.

Best Treatment: Feverfew/Lavender, catnip/chickweed,and coltsfoot (ease the breathing)

♠ Blackcough

♠ This illness is typically fatal and has a high chance of the cat not surviving it. Whitecough or Greencough can advance to this if not treated. You can try to treat it but if it is in the late stages nothing can be done. In this case the humane thing is ease their way to StarClan.

Symptoms: Severe wheezing & coughing, phlegm streaming from nose, pus or blood expelled somewhere and some way on/out of the body, sweating, high fever, and weakness/lethargy.

Best Treatment: Feverfew/Lavender and catnip.

♠ Death Sickness

♠ A very painful, illness that kills the cat slowly. This illness is worse then blackcough, causing excruciating pain. There is no known cure. The humane thing is ease their way to StarClan.

♠ Morning Sickness

♠ This only happens to expecting queens. . . but luckily, it easy to treat! Certain herbs must be avoided for expecting queens.

Symptoms: They will experience flu/cold like symptoms to a degree.

Best Treatment: Allow her to rest and have water. Give her poppy seeds, avoid juniper berries and use raspberry or nettle leaves instead.

♠ Sprains / Twisted paws / ankles ♠

In this case the cat has but too much stress on the joints or has tripped or become stuck for a time. This injury is very minor.

Symptoms: Swelling, painful to touch and move, can't put pressure on it.

Best Treatment: Stay off the injury and apply nettle leaves and give poppy seeds.

♠ Hypothermia ♠ This most common in leaf-bare but it can happen at any time. This illness is caused most commonly when a cat is soaking wet and stays in the cold too long. This ailment happens when the body can't/struggles to keep a steady temperature. There are 4 stages: Impending, mild, moderate, & severe.

Symptoms: Sluggishness, drowsiness, fatigue, stumbling, thickening of speech, amnesia, irrationality, hallucinations, lack of perceptual in any place, blueness in skin, enlargement of pupils, decrease in heart and respiration rates, state of near unconsciousness, insensibility, shivering, poor coordination. Severe Symptoms: Poor speech, disorientation, decrease in shivering followed by rigidity of muscles, blueness of skin, weak/irragular pulse.

Best Treatment: Get the cat's body warm at all costs but be careful not to do it too fast. Keep the victim out of the wind and cold and place in a pre-warmed nest and have other cats sleep around him/her to give warmth. The rest is in StarClan's paws.

Alder Bark
This is used for tooth aches

Beech Leaves
This is used to carry other herbs in

Blackberry Leaves
You chew these into a pulp and it eases the swelling of bee stings

Borage Leaves
Usually chewed by nursing queens, it produces more milk. It also eases fevers.

Burdock Root
It is chewed into a pulp and eases the pain of a rat bite.

Burnet
It is a traveling herb. It keeps a cat's strength up.

Catchweed
They pull the burrs off and put them where the poultice is and it stops the poultice from rubbing off.

Catmint
It is eaten to cure greencough or whitecough, two commom sicknesses.

Calendine
The juices are squeezed into the eye to soothe the effects of a damaged eyes.

Chamomile
It is eaten to strengthen the heart or sooothe the mind, they also put in traveling herbs to give a cat strength.

Chervil
The juices are chewed out of the root or leaves. It is used for bellyache or infected wounds. It can also be used in kitting.

Chickweed
This also treats greencough.

Cob Nuts
It is made into an ointment, the reason being is still unknown.

Cobweb
Put on the wound and is used to stop or slow the bleeding of a wound, it can also be used to bind broken bones.

Coltsfoot
The leaves are chewed into a poultice and are used to ease breathing and can also be used to treat cracked pads.

Comfrey Root
The roots are chewed into a poultice and can be used for a variety of things including- repairing broken bones, soothing wounds, wrenched claws, used for itching, and for inflammation and stiff joints.

Daisy Leaf
It is chewed into a paste and used for aching joints, and as a traveling herb.

Dandelion
Leaves chewed for a painkiller and the white paste in the stem soothes bee stings.

Dock
Soothes scratches and sore pads, though can sting when applied.

Fennel
The stalks are broken and the juice is squeezed into the mouth and it eases hip pain.

Feverfew
It is eaten to chill fever and to ease aches, mostly headaches.

Goldenrod
It is chewed into a poultice and is good for healing wounds.

Heather Flower
It is mixed into herbal mixtures, it makes swallowing easier and sweetens the mixture.

Honey
It is eaten or is soaked in moss and given, it soothes infections, smoke damaged or sore throats, and it helps cats swallow other herbal mixtures.

Horsetail
It is chewed into a poultice and applied to wounds, it is used to stop infection.

Ivy Leaf
Can be used to store other herbs in.

Juniper Berries
The berries are chewed and eaten, they help bellyache, give strength, soothes troubles breathing, and helps calm cats down.

Lamb's Ear
This herb gives a cat strength.

Lavender
This herb can hide the scent of death, used in vigils for leaders, it also cures fever or chills.

Mallow Leaves
Mallow is eaten to soothe bellyache.

Marigold
The petals and leaves are chewed into a poultice the juice can be used as well. It stops infection, stops bleeding, and is used for inflammation and stiff joints.

Mint
It is rubbed on the dead body to hide the scent of death.

Mouse Bile
This is extracted from the mouse and used to kill ticks. It smells bad but wild garlic can hide this scent.

Oak Leaf
It is dried, it stops infection from setting in.

Parsely
This is eaten to stop a queen from producing milk, it also cures bellyache.

Poppy Seed
It is chewed on to put a cat to sleep, ease shock or distress, it eases pain and is not recommended for nursing queens.

Ragwort Leaf
They are crushed and chewed on and can be mixed with juniper berries, they keep a cat's strength up and help aching joints.

Ragweed
This gives cats extra strength and energy.

Raspberry Leaf
It is a painkiller, stops bleeding and could possibly stop bleeding during a kitting.

Rosemary
This also hides the scent of death.

Rush
It is used for broken bones, it keeps a broken limb in place.

Snakeroot
Applied to wounds and heals poison.

Sorrel
It is eaten as a traveling herb, which means it most likely keeps a cat's strength up or keeps them from getting hungry.

Stinging Nettle
They are either swallowed for a cat who has eaten poison, for it enduces vomiting and for swelling, it is chewed into a poultice to put on wounds, and mixed with comfrey it can help heal broken bones.

Tansy
It is eaten but only in small doses, it cures coughs and helps prevent greencough, soothes sore throats, and is used to cure wounds and poison.

Tormentil
It is chewed and then put on the wound, the roots are good for all wounds and extracting poison.

Thyme
Leaves are chewed on to called anxiety, nervousness, and cats who are in shock.

Traveling Herbs
They consist of sorrel, daisy, chamomile, and burnet, cats must eat before traveling long distances because it keeps up strength and keeps them from getting hungry.

Watermint
Chewed into a pulp and then eaten, it eases suffering from a bellyache, can also hide the scent of death.

Wild Garlic
You must roll in it, it prevents infection, especially from a rat bite.

Willow Bark
Willow bark eases pain.

Wintergreen
It treats wounds and some poisons.

Yarrow
The leaves are chewed into a poultice and either eaten or spread on a wound. Yarrow extracts poison from wounds and will make a cat vomit up toxins. And ointment will help soften and heal cracked pads.

Deathberries/Yew Berries/ Night Seeds
Kills a cat within a minute after consumed.

Foxglove Seeds
Can cause paralysis and heart failure.

Holly Berries
It is unknown what they do only that they are poisonous, they may either kill you or make you sick.

Nightshade
They are poisonous and sometimes they are used to put a cat out of its misery

Water Hemlock
Causes writhing and foaming at the mouth.