Healing Herbs Reference

This is a list of healing herbs for reference, made for either warriors needing the knowledge, medicine cat apprentices, or medicine cats who just need a little reminder. These are just the basic herbs that medicine cats need to know about daily.

Borage Leaves - To be chewed and eaten. The plant can be distinguished by its 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.

Catmint (or 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, fernlike 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 an injury to soak up the blood and keep the wound clean.

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.

Comfrey - Identifiable by its large leaves and smal bell-shaped flowers, which can be pink, white or purple. That fat black roots of this plant can be chewed into a poultice to mend broken bones or soothe wounds.

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

Dried Oak Leaf - Collected in the 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 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 grows in marshy areas. The leaves can be used to treat infected wounds. Usually chewed up and applied as a poultice.

Juniper Berries - A bush with spiky dark green leaves and purple berries. The berres 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 flower, these are fed to cats to help them sleep. Soothes cats suffering from shock an distress. Not recommended for nursing queens.

Stinging Nettle - The spiny green seeds can be administered to cats who have swallowed poison, while the leaves can be applied to a wound 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 earth. 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 infection, 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.