Medicinal Herbs and Treatments

[Fernear!]

Herbs for Medicine Cats
from Erin Hunter's 'Warriors Field Guild (Secrets of the Clans)'
Images from members of Flickr

Borage Leaves To be chewed and eaten. The plant can be distinguished by it's small blue or pink star-shaped flowers and hairy leaves. Great for nursing queens as it helps increase their supply of milk. Also brings down fever.

Burdock Root A tall-stemmed, sharp-smelling thistle with dark leaves. A medicine cat must dig up the roots, wash off the dirt, and chew them into a pulp, which can be applied to rat bites. Cures infection.

Catmint [Also known as catnip] A delicious-smelling, leafy plant that's hard to find in the wild; often found growing in Twoleg gardens. The best remedy for greencough.

Chervil A sweet-smelling plant with large, spreading fern like leaves and small white flowers. The juice of the leaves can be used for infected wounds, and chewing the roots helps with bellyache.

Cobweb Spiderwebs can be found all over the forest; be careful not to bring along the spider when you take the web! Medicine cats wrap it around and injury to soak up the blood and keep the wound clean. Stops bleeding.

Coltsfoot A flowering plant, a bit like a dandelion, with yellow or white flowers. The leaves can be chewed into a pulp, which is eaten to help shortness of breath.

Dock A plant similar to sorrel. The leaf can be chewed up and applied to soothe scratches.

Dried Oak Leaf Collected in autumn and stored in a dry place. Stops infections.

Feverfew A small bush with flowers like daisies. The leaves can be eaten to cool down body temperature, particularly for cats with a fever or chills.

Goldenrod a tall plant with bright yellow flowers. A poultice of this is terrific for healing wounds.

Honey A sweet, golden liquid created by bees. Difficult to collect without getting stung, but great for soothing infections or the throats of cats who have breathed smoke.

Horsetail A tall plant with bristly stems that grow in marshy areas. The leaves can be chewed up and applied as a poultice.

Juniper Berries A bush with spiky dark green leaves and purple berries. The berries soothe bellyaches and help cats who are having trouble breathing.

Lavender A small purple flowering plant. Cures fever.

Marigold A bright orange or yellow flower that grows low to the ground. The petals or leaves can be chewed into a pulp and applied as a poultice to wounds. Stops infection.

Mouse Bile A bad-smelling liquid that is the only remedy for ticks. Dab a little moss soaked in bile on a tick and it'll fall right off. Wash paws thoroughly in running water afterward.

Poppy Seed Small black seeds shaken from a dried poppy flowers, these are fed to cats to help them sleep. Soothes cats suffering from shock and distress. Not recommended for nursing queens.

Stinging Nettle The spiny green seeds can be administered to a cat who's swallowed poison, while the leaves can be applied to bring down swelling.

Tansy A strong-smelling plant with round yellow flowers. Good for curing coughs, but must be eaten in small doses.

Thyme This herb can be eaten to calm anxiety and frayed nerves.

Watermint A leafy green plant found in streams or damp areas. Usually chewed into a pulp and then fed to a cat suffering bellyache.

Wild Garlic Rolling in a patch of wild garlic can help prevent infections, especially for dangerous wounds like rat bites.

Yarrow A flowering plant whose leaves can be made into a poultice and applied to wounds or scratches to expel poison.

Note
Deathberries Red berries that can be fatally poisonous to kits and elders. They are NOT a medicine. Known to twolegs as yew berries. They are used to kill. BEWARE!

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Breathing	Coltsfoot, juniper berries	Ingest
Infected Wounds	Horsetail, burdock root, marigold, chervil leaf juice; rolling in wild garlic	Apply; rolling action
Bellyache	Water mint, chervil root	Ingest
Ticks	Mouse bile	Apply
Ingested Poison	Yarrow (induces vomiting), snakeroot	Ingest
Wounds/Sores	Marigold, burdock root	Apply
Greencough, last resort	Catnip	Chew
Fever, headache	Feverfew, nettle, borage leaves, bark of willow	Ingest
Chill	Lavender	Ingest
Irritated Throat	Honey	Ingest
Pain killer	Poppy seeds, chamomile	Ingest
Bleeding Wound	Cobwebs	Apply
Cracked Pads	Yarrow ointment	Apply
Aching Joints	Ragweed + Juniper berry poultice, daisy leaves	Ingest
Anxiety	Thyme	Ingest
Broken Bones	Comfrey, broom poultice	Ingest *
Rash	Stinging nettle	Apply
Bee Sting	White liquid inside a dandelion stem	Apply
Cough	Tansy	Ingest
Aching/Restoration of Eyes	Celandine	Apply
Milk Production	Borage leaves	Ingest
Strength	Ragwort, wheat	Ingest
Toothache	Alder bark	*
Swelling	Stinging nettle	*

Poisons in Clan territory- foxglove, yew berries (aka- death berries)
Note- Water mint is only available in marshy/wet areas.

Treatments

Dislocation of fore/hind leg- First, the cat is given poppy seeds to ease the pain and, hopefully increase positive reaction. Then, one cat must restrain the patient, so the medicine cat doesn't get injured. The medicine cat then grips the patient’s leg in the jaws and gives quick pull. A sharp click should be heard and the injured cat should respond to this with a yowl and a struggle. Then the poppy seeds should really be taking effect, causing the patient to not be able to think straight and stagger. He or she should be sent to rest immediately after. The process of relocating the leg should be done in no less than a minute.

Detecting fever- Medicine cat must press their nose to the pad of the patient’s paw. Then, if still unsure, the medicine cat can compare to another, healthy cat.

Detecting hearing disorders- Simply have a cat stand far away from the cat and call it by its name without giving any sort of visual. If the cat in question does not respond, have the calling cat near a few paw steps closer then call again, in order to know the severity.

Thank you Max for this bottom information.