clowderofclans

[clowderofclans]

Warrior Bites: Dietary Needs

[ID: A fish carcass, bird carcass, and mouse carcass on a stone slab.]

Are you wondering how much prey a Clan needs a day? What they should eat to stay healthy? Why food processing is useful at all? All the answers to these questions and more, contained within a general guide to dietary needs for your Warrior Cats!

As an obligate carnivore, a cat's entire diet revolves around processing meat. More specifically, the ideal diet should be 55% protein, 45% fats, about 1% to 3% carbs, with the remainder being various micro-nutrients. You can expect the average 10-pound warrior to need 350 calories per day, about 3.5 mice on average.

I've also included a section talking about obesity, which dives into how canon's depiction of it is both harmful fatphobia and wouldn't make sense from a cat perspective. It also discusses obesity in realistic cats; and how you're free to choose the realism on that aspect.

Below the cut;

Caloric Intake

Nutrition

Food Processing

On Obesity

Caloric Intake

The general rule for how much a cat needs to eat is that an active, non-neutered tom will need about 35 calories per pound of their own body weight, per day, just to remain the weight they are.

That means that the average warrior, assuming they are 10 pounds, will need 350 calories a day.

Kittens, pregnant and nursing cats, and large warriors will need to eat more than average. Neutered cats, elders, and clerics/medcats will eat less. There are calculators online for determining how much an individual will need, but you can estimate how much an entire Clan will need just by taking 350 and multiplying it by population!

Assuming the average population is about 30 cats, that's 10,500 calories to feed a Clan for a day! To put that in perspective, that many calories would feed 7 large humans. If you felt like fighting a group of angry cats to steal their day's worth of mice, I mean.

Generally speaking, land prey will have a caloric value around 5 calories per gram. Aquatic prey is significantly lower, around 4 calories per gram. Birds will be just below 6 calories per gram. To find out how many cats a piece of prey will feed, or how many pieces a cat will need that day, take the category and multiply by the prey's weight in grams.

So for example, the average house mouse is 20 grams and it is land prey, meaning its caloric value is around 100 calories! A warrior will need 3 and a half mice a day to stay healthy, and a Clan will need 105 mice daily to support 30 cats.

105 mice may seem like a lot, but remember that a wild rabbit is 1,800 grams on average which means 9,000 calories. 2 big pieces of prey will feed the whole Clan, with leftovers.

Those estimates include every part of the animal. Cats eat organs, small bones, and even skin. Skeletal muscle, or "fillets" in reference to fish, is so low in calories that it's typically somewhere between 1 kcal to 1.5 kcal per gram. That's what you're buying in the supermarket; but wild animals don't usually cut their food into choice strips.

(unless you're writing a clan that does food processing of course!)

QUICK FACTS

Average warrior will need 35 calories per pound of weight

10 pound warrior needs 350 calories a day

350 x 30 cats = 10,500 calories to feed a Clan for a single day

Birds provide the most calories per gram, land prey the middlemost, and aquatic prey the least.

Calculate calories in prey by taking the weight, converting to grams, and multiply by 4, 5, or 6 depending on broad category.

If you're having trouble feeding a Clan on small animals, look at bigger prey like rabbits and trout.

Muscle fillets are inferior to organ meats and have a much lower caloric value.

Nutrition

Not all food is the same. The more important thing to consider about any particular meal is NOT its calorie count, but its nutritional value. This is especially important to cats because protein is not stored as fat. If the body has no immediate use for it, it's flushed out.

Since cats should not eat more than 3% carbs, ALL of their fat stores will need to come from fat.

The ideal piece of meat would be at least 55% protein and 45% fat. Every individual species will have a different ratio, and more importantly, individual cuts will have a different ratio.

Skeletal muscle has a higher ratio of protein to fat. Organ meat, also sometimes called "offal," will have a more balanced ratio. That said, nearly all meat skews towards protein. PURE fat is very hard to find on the sorts of animals Clan cats hunt, and must be carefully divided, collected, or processed to make sure all warriors are getting proper nutrition.

I'll be going more in-depth with dietary fat at some other time, as this guide is meant to just be an overview! Just know that some Clans will need to eat MORE food to stay healthy because of this.

Cats need more than the "macronutrients" to stay healthy. They can't JUST rely on the juiciest cuts of meat to keep their health intact, they also need several vitamins and minerals to support their body functions, and avoid getting a deficiency.

Here's some of the important micronutrients, where to get them, and what happens they don't get enough;

Vitamin A: Livers, mealworms, eggs This is one of the most important micronutrients in a cat's body, used for practically everything. Without this, their coats will grow dull, and their joints stiff, and they'll start to go night-blind. In a severe state, they'll start to lose the ability to heal skin lacerations and die. Pregnant cats and kittens need more of this than usual, but it IS also possible to get vitamin A poisoning from getting too concentrated of a dose.

Calcium: Bones, eggs With a calcium deficiency, the warrior will feel stiff and sore, and experience painful muscle spasms. Most cats will simply crunch the bones of small prey and never have to worry about this, but if your cats cook or scavenge, they have to be told to NEVER eat the bones of a roasted bird. Because bird bones are hollow and cooking makes them brittle, they can splinter and cause fatal internal bleeding.

Thiamine: Trout, boar meat, mealworms, eggs Called a Fish Seizure because raw carp and raw bream contains thiaminase, which will destroy thiamine in the body. Lack of thiamine will cause neurological issues, such as the aforementioned seizures, general confusion, memory loss, and muscle weakness. This can be counterracted by eating trout, which is so high in thiamine that there's a theory that carp evolved it specifically to eat salmonids better.

Potassium: Trout, boar meat, mealworms, eggs As cats get older, they begin needing a lot more potassium for their bodies. It's a very common micronutrient found in most meat, but elders should get the first bite of special snacks "out of respect" which helps keep their potassium level up. Without it, they become very weak.

i feel like that evil struthiomimus from land before time with how many times i typed eggs

QUICK FACTS

The ideal ratio of a cut of meat is 55% protein 45% fat

Organ meat > Muscle meat

Micronutrients are important

But micronutrients can also cause poisoning if, somehow, they're too concentrated (very hard to come across concentrated micronutrients without the science of chemistry tho. Like if a cat swallowed a vitamin gummy.)

Food Processing

"Food Processing" is when you do something to your food before you eat it. Just a little bit of care is going to go a LONG WAY when it comes to health of the warrior.

Cats that eat raw meat the way canon warriors do are almost guaranteed to get worms. Roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms are all passed through the infected tissue of rodent prey, and in fish, roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes can pass through raw meat.

All parasites do something a little different, but most digestive worms aren't fatal unless the cat is sick or a kitten. However, nearly ALL of them screw around with digestion, making the cat need to eat more just to stay healthy, or causing stomach irritation. Some of them can even pass in milk, infecting a suckler's nursing kits.

The easiest way to reduce this kind of infection is simply to slice the prey open from mouth-to-butt, Tigerstar-style, and hook and lift out the GI tract before eating. There's nothing in that worth eating raw anyway. It can just be discarded, or cleaned out and used to case tiny sausages! But it's only a reduction; there's still a risk of catching worms from raw meat.

There's also always the possibility of getting salmonella poisoning.

Many believe that cats are immune to this, but that's not true! Carnivores just have a shorter GI tract than omnivores and herbivores, so salmonella spends less time in their gut and ergo has less chance of causing an infection. It still happens, ESPECIALLY when cats hunt songbirds.

Nothing can be done about salmonella in raw meat, besides eating it as quickly as possible. It's innate to the bodies of birds and reptiles, and usually found on raw eggs too.

Some animals are small enough to be dried and carried around as rations, such as minnows or grasshoppers. Others could be sliced up into strips, and marinated in spices like valerian or catmint for an extra boost of energy. It could also be worthwhile to cut the pelt off a particularly soft animal, like a mole, to dry and keep as bedding material.

All of the above examples of food processing are possible without fire, but if your cats DO have fire, they will have a DRASTIC increase to the quality of their health.

Such as;

Cooking will almost completely eliminate those foodborne parasites. Their eggs don't survive extreme heat.

No more salmonella poisoning! GONE! Cooking is the only way to eliminate this!

It can increase caloric absorption from anywhere between 20% to 50%. Our example warrior who needed 3.5 mice a day could suddenly need one less mouse; and even a meager 20% drop in how much the entire Clan needs saves 2,400 calories a day. 24 whole mice!

I HAVE TO STRESS HOW BIG THAT IS. You save anywhere from 2/10 to 5/10 successful kills.

Thiaminase is destroyed by cooking, making bream and carp healthier and reducing "fish seizures."

It allows for fats to be processed and stored as tallow, lard, and oil, so it can be added to other dishes to make them both healthier and tastier.

Most food preservation requires fire in some way; by heating, jellying, boiling, etc. The only other two ways to reliably store food is by having access to a ton of salt, which is hard for most non-coastal clans to acquire, or vinegar, which is so acidic it's a notorious cat-repellent.

While cooking can also destroy some micronutrients, its benefits FAR outweigh any potential "strengths" of raw food. Destroying micronutrients is also not always a bad thing; as TOO MANY micronutrients can cause poisoning. Fire-using Clans will be more likely to "seek" micronutrients than non-fire Clans as a result, though they probably won't recognize the science behind a hankering!

QUICK FACTS

Worms. Basically unavoidable if your cat's eating like a canon warrior.

Some parasites can spread through milk.

Slicing and lifting out the GI tract can significantly reduce the chance of catching worms.

Salmonella can only be eliminated with cooking

Cooking will drastically increase the quality of a Clan's health, if your cats are advanced enough to figure out fire.

Warriors need to hunt a LOT less prey, and can store that prey, if they have fire.

Fire-using Clans will intentionally try to put more types of food in their diets and get 'cravings.'

On Obesity

Warrior Cats is not a realistic series. The boundary that any particular writer draws between humans and warrior cats is completely arbitrary. The series itself follows no sense of realistic genetics, regularly shows the cats using herbs that would poison them, and gives the characters human-centric morals like monogamy and paternal involvement.

So when it comes to being fatness in your project, please keep that in mind. You do not need too follow realistic cat weight distribution, if that's not what your project about. That said, let me tell you about humans vs cats in this department!

Humans have a massive diversity of weight distribution, with varied genetic predispositions to gaining and losing weight. The shame, bullying, and medical discrimination that comes with fatphobia is a LOT more harmful than being fat itself, and the causes of the "obesity crisis" are ridiculously more complicated than "ppl r snorking 2 much food".

Realistic cats aren't the same way.

When REAL cats are fat, that's VERY bad. It's a sign they are being fed the wrong things by humans, or live somewhere that they are able to eat what they shouldn't. They just don't have that same diversity in fat distribution that humans do. Because of how adipose tissue secretes certain hormones, feline obesity is like a chronic inflammatory disease which can cause arthritis, bladder stones, hepatic lipidosis, and more.

But with that in mind, fatness should be perceived very differently even in the most realistic settings. In comparison to humans;

It is harder for a wild cat to put on weight. Most of what they're eating is raw protein, actively trying to fill the 45% of daily fat intake they need to stay healthy. Protein isn't stored as fat, it's immediately discarded by the body if there is no use for it. A cat would need to be taking an INSANE amount of prey to start becoming dangerously overweight. Housecats are often fed human food, which has carbohydrates. Low-quality cat food will also use carbs as filler. High carb food is VERY bad for them, since they're only supposed to have 3% carbs at most. This is one of the reasons why it's easy for pet cats to become overweight.

Realistic cats don't look start looking overweight until they are significantly obese. Most of their fat is stored around their ribs and internally, unlike humans with our thick hips and round bellies, and they are covered in a naturally sagging pelt of fur. It's not as obvious with them. Visually, weight will be noticed best from a bird's eye perspective, unlike humans where it's apparent at every angle.

Putting on the fat that CAN be acquired is ridiculously important 3.5 raw, whole mice a day, per cat, are needed to fill their basic dietary requirements. There are going to be days or months especially during winter where they might be below that number, and that stored fat is going to be lifesaving. Bulking up is actually a big deal!

So not only is how canon treats overweight characters full of malice, it's full of lazy malice. It makes no sense from a realistic standpoint for wild cats to develop an association between fatness and greed or laziness. It's important, hard work for them to acquire it!

Though the Clans are notoriously xenophobic and kittypets are more likely to be overweight, it still doesn't make sense from a realistic cat perspective to be fatphobic in the same way as canon. It's more likely they'd see fat housecats as having "unearned" weight given to them by humans, like they're cheating, or they might be disdainful of how much junk food they eat, or pitiable because it's a sign of a bad twoleg... or just "sour grapes" variety jealousy ☕.

Bottom line is that there's a LOT you can do here which is better than canon's vicious bullying. The writers just lifted British cultural disdain for fat people and put it into the books. They simply did not think it through.

So please do what they didn't, and just put a little extra thought into how your project is going to view fatness! Consider if fatphobia is even a theme you need in your text.

As stated, you do not even have to write weight in your cats as being realistic in this way! I encourage you to pick and choose what's most fun and fitting for your own work. I personally give my characters a more human weight distribution, simply because I want to spite canon and be more body-positive. I am a fat people and you can take Bumble's big chunky bod from my cold, dead hands.

You can choose to make your work however you'd like, and now with this guide, you can have an easy reference for what your cats should eat! Thank you, StarClan, for this prey <3

#reference #food #add more tags later

[clowderofclans]

made these studying cat genetics over the past 2 weeks!

i felt like there weren't enough visual guides of cat genetics so i went ahead and made some simple ones, my main references were Sparrow's Garden the website, Sparrow's Garden the blog, Messybeast, and The Little Carnivore.

#reference #genetics #oooh #coat colours #coat patterns

[clowderofclans]

I've been following you for a while and I just have to ask

How do you draw hands and paws so nicely??? I'd love to know

ohohoho! in order to make sure i post a response in a timely matter, i'll just cover felid (cat) paws in this answer, since those are the ones i draw the most!

it's important when drawing paws to understand what those paws are being used for! the majority of cats are ambush predators, who use their wide, powerful paws to grapple and grip their prey as they wrestle it to the ground. they also regularly slap the shit out of each other as a combat strategy. thus, cat arms and wrists are quite flexible, allowing for a range of motion similar to what we humans are capable of.

cats can pronate their paws, meaning their paws can face directly downward with palms parallel to the ground (this is how quadrupedal animals usually walk, so most four-leggers have their paws in a naturally pronated position so their palms can touch the floor). but cats also can completely supinate their paws inward, meaning they can point their palms toward one another to face together (think like a clapping or grabbing motion). most dogs and hyenas can only partially rotate their wrists in this way, and other animals like horses cannot do this at all.

this flexibility in the wrist and digits is what gives cat paws a characteristically squishy and soft look to them. (the exception to all of this would be cheetahs, whose lifestyles caused them to evolve more doglike paws.)

i generally start my sketch with the paw as one big vague blob, then i cut it up where the wrist and the knuckles are before finally outlining the individual digits. (fur will also conceal the separation between the toes, so exceptionally fluffy cats may look like they have no toes at all.)

some paws in motion for you as well. remember: all cats do the gay wrist thing.

#reference #paws

[clowderofclans]

I... did not know that 6 month old cats were that big I kept imagining them as the size of slightly bigger kits

Yeah man, this is the lie that the warriors animation community has been perpetuating for a while. Mostly out of ignorance haha Here is a growth video of a kitten to ten months old which is about the time between kit to warrior in canon (though it might be more like warrior at 12 months, but it varies quite a lot), and here is a picture of that cat at 6 months old, seen at 0:16 in the video. It starts to make a lot more sense that this is the age that kittens are allowed to start battle training and even participating in defending their clan, because they are at six months old physically capable of doing so. Many breeds of cats keep maturing in their density and weight until 3-5 years of age, but the bulk of growth always happens in the first six months.

Truthfully I think a lot of people depict apprentices as tiny children because that is easier to differentiate on screen, especially if animation designs are exaggerated where certain characters are huge for dramatic effect (think often tigerstar the first and characters like lionheart). This isn't actually wrong to do, and can be a very effective choice in communicating the age of certain characters without having to tell the audience in neon lights that this character is an apprentice.

but it should be a choice, and some discussions I have seen about the warrior cats online makes the assumption that all apprentices are tiny and helpless (maybe based on these depictions? unkown) when the reality is that at six months old, non-fictional cats enter adolescence, they are almost always desperate for independence and 'leave the nest' so to speak, and can in fact raise their own litter of kittens (not an uncommon occurrence in wild cats, but I do not recommend this for the health of the animals and discourage owners from this practice). I'm not sure that there is much point in comparing the physical development of cats to people especially regarding a fictional series, (and granted I'm just a fan and not an expert) but If we are talking about real-live physical cats at six months old, they're more comparable to 14-16 year olds than tweenagers 11-13, by ten months we're talking about late adolescence, maybe 18 year olds. Think about it, plenty of people in high school get misinterpreted as adults, that's the age range we're talking about. I understand that this is a hot debated topic in fandom as apprentices are often interpreted as younger characters, but I find it more interesting to depict them closer to a feline's realistic development, at least in an artistic sense, and probably will continue to do so.

#link #reference #warriors

[clowderofclans]

Okay I’m gonna talk about it more actually. I am disabled.

the key I think to writing better disabled rep in warrior cats (assuming you’re not going the route of making the clans actively ableist and having to get rid of those ideologies) is Choice and Variety. Just like… the simple change of a warrior not having to do EVERY warrior duty would be huge, because “this character is useless and can’t do shit” and “this character ACTUALLY can contribute to society in a way I approve of and is therefore a Good Disabled” are both ableist ideas.

Jayfeather is a big one for me- Cinderpelt voluntarily choosing the medicine cat path after her injury wouldn’t feel like an ableist writing decision if other cats had had more choice and been shown to have varying roles. If Jayfeather realised he couldn’t fight because he’s at his best when he has time to use all his senses and be aware, he could’ve been given several possible options!!

Training to be a warrior but focusing on hunting, which he’d still be capable of

becoming a medicine cat If He So Chose because it’s a way of serving his clan without having to fight

Training to be a full warrior but having a much longer training time than other apprentices and specifically working to develop strategies suitable for a blind cat in battle

all of these involve accomodations being made, him not just being written off as incapable but also not being expected to be just like other cats despite his disability and not feeding into the “overcoming” your disability narratives. Alderheart would’ve been similar, he could’ve had specialised mentoring to help him with his anxiety or he could’ve chosen the medicine den because it would allow him to still do something without placing him in stressful situations. Basically the things any au confronting ableism in the clans needs to do are:

Allow the character to choose their own path according to their individual needs

not treat the character as useless or a liability or helpless BUT ALSO

understand that a person’s worth is not determined by their ability to function to society’s standards and that they’re worthy of respect regardless of how much or little they can do for you

This post is kinda messy but I really wanted to get my thoughts out in one place. As a bonus, here’s some roles a disabled cat might take on depending on their disability

Full warrior, with allowances for their struggles if needed eg a chronically ill cat still hunting and patrolling but doing it less than others, having rest days to receive treatment and not overwork themselves.

partial warrior, focusing on either hunting or patrolling/fighting depending on what better suits their needs

if a cat needs to be confined to camp, for example because they’re immunocompromised or otherwise at risk, they could do a dustpelt and be someone who builds dens/otherwise helps out, maybe doing apprentice style duties like gathering moss and helping the elders (you would however have to throw out the idea that these tasks are demeaning, which in my opinion should probably just be done anyway because there’s nothing demeaning about helping people but I digress)

permaqueen/nursery helper! It’s a super important role that doesn’t require any hunting or fighting, and if a cat wouldn’t be suited to medicine because they can’t memorise herbs and treatments but is still kindhearted and caring this could be a great option

related, add a role that’s the equivalent to a nurse. Brightheart learning about herbs without being a full medicine cat is a huge asset and I honestly don’t know why they don’t expect more warriors to have some of that knowledge- but anyway a cat could help the main medicine cat to gather herbs, mix treatments, check on other cats, etc

becoming a medicine cat as their own choice. If it weren’t such a strong trend in the books there would be nothing wrong with disabled cats becoming medicine cats

also, joining the elders. Again, if a cat feels it would risk their health/be unsuitable to take on warrior or medicine cat duties, they shouldn’t have to. Also the elders always seem like they like having the company

TLDR- the most important thing for how you write a disabled character is not specifically what they’re capable of doing but rather letting them choose their own path and not be treated as lesser for what they can’t do while also not being underestimated about what they can do

#warriors #disability #definitely something to keep in mind

[clowderofclans]

Cryptidclaw’s WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

Keep reading

#link #warriors #names #warriors names

[clowderofclans]

Warrior Bites: Clan Tools

[Image ID: Reedwhisker, a black RiverClan warrior cat, sits behind two terracotta pots, some strips of willowbark, a traditional wooden pot called a firkin, and a rock. He has a stick in his mouth.]

Warriors of the Clans are shown in-canon to be able to weave, dig tunnels, decorate with shells, and do whatever it is that BloodClan’s got going on with those collars and manicures. Have you considered what other tools a semi-realistic warrior could handle?

A guide to the various tools and methods that the Clans can use to prepare complex dishes, including the equipment needed for smoking, baking, pickling, and so on. Part of the Warrior Bites series for Bonefall’s Clan Culture.

(The art in this guide was once again provided by my partner who hasn’t read a single page of warrior cats in their life but so help me god I’ll drag them down with me)

Tools + Equipment

Fire Starting

Containers: Twine + Baskets + Buckets

Cookware: Smokers, Ovens, “Grillstones“

1. Fire Starting

Flint can be used to start a fire, especially for Clans that lack lumber. Because flint is most easily found around the Mothermouth, it’s associated with StarClan’s glow and considered somewhat divine.

But for those situations without a flint starter, the Clans generally teach their apprentices the paw-drill method using a spindle. But these days, SkyClan uses stolen Glass to start fires quicker and easier than any other Clan…

Except on cloudy days, where some unfortunate apprentice still gets saddled with spindle duty.

[Image ID: Reedclaw, a brown tabby Warrior Cat from SkyClan, sits on his haunches and spins a long stick called a ‘spindle’ with his front paws. Smoke is rising from the board the spindle is spinning against.]

2. Containers: Twine + Baskets + Buckets

RiverClan has the easiest access to twine; Willowbark can be peeled right off the tree and used without any processing for simple string to tie things with. WindClan uses woven grass as twine. ShadowClan, SkyClan, and ThunderClan are able to make cordage from Blackberry brambles.

Once the cat has twine, it can be woven into a simple basket to gather things, like berries, clams, or insects. In order to carry liquids, forested Clans can create firkins– a small wooden bucket that requires some carpentry ability, namely creating wooden nails.

But these tremble before the value of pottery, which is needed to store liquids, ferment and pickle food, and create stew.

Pottery is made from clay, which has to be baked in order to go from wet mud to terracotta. RiverClan is responsible for making the majority of new pottery because of the river, and ShadowClan’s marsh gives them lots of access to low-quality clay.

WindClan was once unmatched in the quality of their pottery thanks to tunneling leading them to the finest clay deposits known to the Clans. Though SkyClan is now rivaling the finest ancient WindClan pottery, due to their willingness to steal buckets from twolegs.

(Leafstar says, “if you cant make a firkin, store-bought is fine”)

[Image ID: Leafstar, the brown tabby-and-cream Warrior cat leader of SkyClan, sits behind a counter in front of an audience presenting a man-made firkin, parodying shopping channels. A speech bubble says, “Meow meow meow meow meow, storebought is meow.”]

3. Cookware: Smokers, Ovens, “Grillstones“

A smoker is very easy to construct, all that’s needed is some straight branches, twine, and fire.

First, a round pit is dug into the ground and filled with soaked woodchips. It is important they’re damp, because wet wood gives off more smoke than dry. Then, three beams are set and tied at the top, like a triangle. From there, a shelf is made inside of the beams. Multiple shelves can be made if a lot of food is being smoked at once.

ThunderClan wraps the smoker in a leather pelt, to keep the smoke in. Their prowess with smoking and seasoning a wide range of meats gives them the title of BBQ champions.

[Image ID: A primitive smoker setup, made of three sticks leaned against each other in a triangular shape and tied at the top. Two shelves are tied into the structure, the top row with minnows and the bottom with hanging strips of meat.]

An oven is a large construction. Capable of cooking several meals at once, each clan would have just one to use communally. Because the communal oven is such a big project, each Clan would have one that looks unique to their environment.

ThunderClan’s, for example, is flat and made of stone, simple in design but very sturdy and capable of cooking a lot of meat at once.

[Image ID: A stone oven made of flat, piled rocks. A fire is lit at the bottom and meat is browning on the top shelf. A stick leans against the side.]

For the quickest and easiest way to make a hot meal, meat is roasted on a spit or loose stick over an open fire. The best sear comes from a large, flat slab of rock propped up over a flame, known to the clans as a grillstone.

[Image ID: Firestar, ginger tabby warrior cat leader of ThunderClan, watches bacon sizzle on a large, flat rock placed over a fire. His daughter, Squirrelkit, sits beside him. A thought bubble above her head contains a waffle, and a question mark.]

(Clan blood be damned that kittypet can work a grill)

#warriors #inspiration #cooking #clan culture #cookware #grillstone #oven #smoker #twine #tools

[clowderofclans]

some anatomy tips for drawing cat legs - works for big cats too

#reference

[clowderofclans]

the front legs tutorial was a hit so i made one for hind legs!

#reference

[clowderofclans]

And From Flames, Reborn

“...opposite to expectations, this patron often rushes to save those caught or threatened by flames. Ash and burnt plants are stuck in their fur, and their body is littered with scars, particularly their face and paws, as a result of forcing their way through to reach those in danger. Big build and eyes like living embers. Surprisingly soft-furred.”

     The sky was as dark as the blackest night, the very air thick and choking with smoke. Ash and embers buried and burned anything they touched, while flames dyed the land a hellish red, making the very world seem a giant, living flame. All life had fled that could, leaving the only sounds the roaring of flames and creaking of dying trees as they succumbed.

     Paws thudded against the earth, kicking up eddies of ash that only made it harder to see. Lungs burned for uncontaminated air, choked with smoke and the acrid scent of fire.

     A cat, thick fur littered with ash and bits of burnt plants, dashed through the flames. Embers scattered in their wake as they dodged and leaped around falling branches and burning undergrowth.

     Firestorm’s name had never felt more accurate. As they leaped backwards to avoid a sudden surge of wind-swept flames, they wished it didn’t.

     They could no longer recall the world before the fire. Their memories were filled with a haze of red and charred-black and a blazing, blistering heat. Their clanmates had vanished, and they could only hope they had all managed to escape. The only thing left was to find their own way out.

     The wind shifted, and with it- a sound. Ears flickering, Firestorm turned, searching the flames for a clue.

     Nothing but the red of fire greeted them. Still- there had to be something, it couldn’t have been their mind playing tricks-

     There!

     Faint, but audible above the crackling of flames. They took off towards it, leaping over a fallen tree, ears straining for anything that wasn’t the ever-present roar.

     So focused were they on listening that they almost tripped over what they were searching for. Stumbling to a halt, Firestorm was brought up short by the sight before them.

     Another cat- this one barely the size of an apprentice, struggled to free themself from a fallen branch. Which clan they belonged to, Firestorm didn’t know. But that didn’t matter.  What did was getting them out, to safer grounds.

     ...If such a thing could be found.

     They set their shoulder against the branch and shoved, gritting their teeth against the biting heat. As soon as they felt it give, they ducked and snatched the kit. Survival was now even more important than before.

     The fire felt hotter now, more eager in its’ attempts to consume any life it could find. The earth flew under their paws as they ran, desperately scenting for a whiff of fresh air.

     Just as it seemed there was no end to the choking inferno, a sudden breeze cut through the flames. In the midst of burning heat, the coolness of it sent a shiver from head to tail.

     A rasping mewl from the kit in their jaws shook Firestorm out of their shock. They forced their weary paws to follow the beckoning scent of fresh, clean air.

     It didn’t take long before they stumbled out of the edge of the flames, kit coughing at the change in the air, and found themselves greeted with relieved shouts.

     Someone hurried forward to take the kit from their weary jaws, and they watched, dazed, as cats checked each other over and called out names to see who had made it.

     They stood a while longer before turning and walking back to the fire. The worried shouts behind them were quickly swallowed by the roaring of flames. They were alone again-

     -but this time they had a goal.

     A touch of wind against their ear led them deeper into the fire.

     A goal, and a guide.

     The next cat they found was elderly, their chest wracked with coughs from the smoke. Firestorm carefully helped them onto their back and followed the wind back towards the edge of the fire.

     They were quickly relieved of their load and watched to make sure the elder was far enough from danger before returning to their chosen task.

     Again and again they returned to the flames, the wind guiding them through burning undergrowth and around the worst of the inferno. Again and again they shoved away debris, or held up burning branches, or plunged through grasping thorns to help whoever they could find. Again and again they brought those they found to safety, guided always by the wind’s quiet presence.

     Exhaustion pulled at them, weighed them down, but they kept on. Just one more step. Then another. Their legs shook from the effort, paws burned beyond repair. They had to keep going.

     They took a step and stumbled, jostling the kitten in their jaws. Blood dripped into their eyes and they set them down to shake it away. Moving to pickup the kit again sent a wave of lightheadedness to sweep through their body, and Firestorm had to sit down heavily as they waited for it to pass.

     The heat was near unbearable now. They felt the wind fluttering about them, trying to help, to lead the two of them to safety, but even its’ cool touch couldn’t chase the heat away.

     Firestorm tried again to stand, only for their legs to give out and send them falling in a heap on the ground. Heaving, they reached out and grabbed the kit- or, no; the little one had said they were an apprentice, hadn’t they? but they were so small- pulling them close and curling their exhausted form around them.

     If they could keep the flames from reaching them, then maybe- maybe they could save one more life.

     As the fire inched closer, they curled tighter. They had to make sure the kit- apprentice?- was as safe as possible. Above them the wind howled, as if desperately trying to put out the fire through sheer force.

     All it did was fan the flames higher.

     The tiny form between their paws coughed and whimpered. Firestorm could only press them closer. Glancing up through bleary eyes, they distantly realized they couldn’t even see the sky anymore, only endless clouds of ash and smoke. Around them the fire was an impenetrable wall. The howling of the wind seemed far away.

     The flames closed in.

     Firestorm closed their eyes, their chest rising once more before falling still.

     The world went quiet.

                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Firestorm floated in quiet darkness. It was peaceful here, wherever they were; no roar of flames or howl of wind. They almost felt like a kit again.

     If this was what awaited them after life, they thought they wouldn’t mind it. There was no need for worry here. No need for fear, or tears.

     Something stirred in the darkness.

     Prying open their eyes, they were greeted with- nothing. A vast expanse of darkness, with faint twinkling points of light like far-off stars.

     No- that wasn’t quite right. There was something else there, in the endless void.

     They lifted their head to look, and were greeted by what seemed to be the universe itself.

     There was no physical form, at least none they could discern; not even eyes. But it was there; equally, impossibly vast and ancient and unknowable.

But they felt no danger, no fear. Firestorm felt as though they were just another star, a singular, shining point of light in a sea of other shining lights.

     Yet, the... being, no, spirit, no- nothing fit quite right, too simple, too small- focused its’ attention on them, one star among thousands.

     They felt a warmth fill them, then, like water from the ends of their paws to the tips of their ears.

     Warmth, and power, and purpose poured through them to their core under the weight of that gaze as a voice that was not a voice spoke.

                                          Go forth, Patron of Fire

                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Snailpaw pushed again at the still figure. They needed to get up; it wasn’t safe here. The fires had begun to die down but they could pick up again at any moment.

     The warrior who had saved them lay quiet and still, stirred only by Snailpaw’s attempts to wake them. Their pelt was ragged and filled with soot and burnt plants. Their paws, still curled tightly around the apprentice, were burnt black. Blood trickled down their face from a dozen thorn-cuts. A particularly nasty gash marred their forehead.

     Snailpaw’s ears flicked at the sound of muffled pawsteps, but they didn’t move. Only when a paw gently landed on their head did they glance away from the silent warrior.

     “Oh, kitten.” The voice was familiar. Blinking bleary eyes, Snailpaw eventually realized who was speaking to them. Ashstep, a senior warrior of their clan; always kind and willing to lend a helping paw. “Come here. You’ll be alright.”

     They didn’t resist as they were tugged gently away from the body to Ashstep’s side. A tongue rasped at their ears and face, cleaning away the ash and grime from the fire. In the distance, they could hear the faint calls of their clanmates, for those lost, for a healer, for helping moving this or that branch. None of that mattered; they had eyes only for the warrior who had kept them safe from the worst of the flames by using their own body as a shield.

     “...did... did you know them?” Ashstep paused in thons grooming to follow Snailpaw’s gaze. Thon gave a quiet hum.

     “I did. They were a very good warrior. Kind, loyal, never afraid to help. Never shied away from a good conversation, either.”

     “W-what was their name?”

     Ashstep paused, taking a quiet breath. Thons voice was quiet when thon answered, “Firestorm.”

     “...I think it fits.”

     Ashstep hummed in agreement, only to give a quiet gasp as Firestorm’s body began to glow faintly. The two watched, enraptured, as it grew brighter and brighter before the light appeared to separate and rise into the air above the body. It shimmered, as bright as the stars in the sky as it coalesced into a familiar shape.

     Before their eyes, the spirit of the deceased warrior appeared, their pelt shimmering with stars. Then something began to change- their pelt, so pale and starry, became warmer, brighter; bits of ash and burnt plants seemed to sprout from their fur. Their scars were healed and their paws looked softer. Their eyes, when they opened, were bright and glowing, like living embers.

     The ...spirit’s?... gaze fell upon the living cats before them, Ashstep holding Snailpaw to thons chest, and they gave a soft smile and nod before dissolving into flames.

     “...wh-what was that?” Ashstep shook thonself out of thons thoughts, glancing down at the apprentice. Thon blinked.

     “...I think, kitten, that we just witnessed the birth of a new Patron.”

     Snailpaw turned back to where Firestorm’s body lay, staring in awe at where the spirit had been. There seemed to be a lingering warmth, one that radiated gentleness and safety rather than painful, searing heat. Firestorm’s body itself seemed at peace, even with the lingering remnants of their passing plain for all to see.

     A warm breeze blew past, gently ruffling their fur as if to say goodbye.

     “Thank you, Firestorm.”

And thus, here ends the tale of the death and rebirth of the cat once known as Firestorm, now the Patron of Fire.

#a clowder of clans #patrons #patron of fire #tales from the elders’ den #i guess i should also add #animal death #patron of wind #firestorm #ashstep #snailpaw

[clowderofclans]

this website is a great source of info about cat genetics, including a gathering of reports and resources on cats in Forbidden Colors

I think harmless mutations that make cool colors and patterns are neat and i want to see where these are going

#reference #link #oooh #ill definitely have to use these for designs!

[clowderofclans]

Can we talk about badgers

did you know that human people tend to think badgers are bigger than they actually are, since we usually see them in the dark and badgers tend to be stinkin mean. Many people express amazement when they see them during the daytime, at just how small they actually are. That is why when you hear stories of badgers as big as small bears, more likely than not that’s an exaggeration. Still though one on one with a cat they would probably win because they are just, bad bitches

#warriors #reference #badgers

[clowderofclans]

Red Foxes, the animal that imo appears the most and is given the most misleading size descriptions and depictions in the books. They’re cat size. They’re literally cat sized. Please, Erins, they are cat sized. The fox kits Lion Jay and Holly find and are chased by? Might have actually been smaller than them if the books were accurate. I can’t really blame most the animation community for depicting them so large, because they’re described as being huge canonically, to the point you’d think they were coyotes or wolves with how much damage they can do sometimes. But really though, they’re not that big. They’re smaller than geese, weigh less than badgers, are definitely smaller than large dog breeds, and often only taller than cats because their necks and legs are longer, but their mass? just about the same as a cat’s.

Interesting thing about foxes, though they’re generally solitary hunters they don’t mind sharing opportunistic meals with competing species. Would they fight with the clans? yeah sure, but I think it would be possible for the clans to have some stories of foxes doing things that are playful or collaborative and be really confused about it.

#warriors #foxes #red fox #reference

[clowderofclans]

i’ve got a few ideas for short stories i want to write, so keep an eye out for the tag #tales from the elders’ den

so far they’re about the patrons and how they came to be, focusing on Fire, Water, and Wind respectively!

#mod speaks #tales from the elders’ den #<- writing tag

[clowderofclans]

There should be some sort of herbal remedy to eye infections in kits

Its pretty common for feral kittens to get eye infections so I think it could be neat for med cats to have some sort of remedy or something that stops it from happening to explain why thats never really a problem in warriors!

#herbs #might add more tags later

[clowderofclans]

art hint: people always share resources for reference pictures of people, but if you are an artist who draws cats a lot i offer you the CFA - The Cat Fanciers Association website. they are an association dedicated to professional show cats

you just go on the website and select breeds

in there you can select to see all the breeds they have or choose one you want

once you have selected a breed you can click on Breed and National Winners

from there you get a big gallery with pictures of show cats of this specific breed

at the top of every gallery you can sort the cats by pelt color and pattern

they have many different breeds, with lots of pictures of the cats in different poses and with different colors, its a good place to find references for cat pictures (though i think looking for show cats in general is a good way to find them)

#reference #link #website link #cat fanciers association #cats

[clowderofclans]

Herb Guide to HRT for Warrior Cats

Have a warrior OC you would like to show being on hormone replacement medication? I’ve gone through herbs historically associated with femininity/masculinity, as well as those with effects on sex hormones, that a wild cat could hypothetically find and use.

Of course, this would still require a bit of a leap as there’s no herb in nature that can replace our friend Spironolactone… but if you’d like some herbs with a grain of truth or history to them that wouldn’t poison a semi-realistic cat? Here you go!

(DO NOT USE THESE HERBS ON YOURSELF OR A REAL ANIMAL.)

Let’s identify what we’re looking for;

Hormone suppressing herbs = antigonadotropins Prevents production and recognition of present hormones. This is going to be big for an agender transition; but even in a binary one, they’re often taken with- 

Hormone producing herbs = estrogen/estradiol & testosterone/androgens Make sure your warrior doesn’t start on huge amounts! Smaller, controlled doses are more effective. Too much can cause the opposite effects and slow down transition.

Historical precedent = Just Cool If I find a cool story I’m just going to include it, but note that it doesn’t hold pharmacological basis.

I considered also including some thoughts on surgical treatments as well, but I’ve decided I’ll save that for a follow-up. This guide is purely focused on medication to stay SFW!

Hormone Suppressants

Lycopus (also known as Wolf’s Foot, Water Horehound, Bugleweed) is such a widespread species and has several other medical uses. Not only is it THE most well documented antigonadotropin I came across, but its different species have a wide variety of medical use, including treating anxiety, heart palpitations, stopping bleeding, and respiratory illness. This is also a mint that is not toxic to cats. Also it can be used as a dye.

THERE IS A CAVEAT; if Lycopus supplements suddenly stop or overdosed, it can cause thyroid enlargement. Keep this in mind if your trans warrior ever gave up their medication to a sick clanmate in leafbare!

Lithospermum ruderale (Aka western Stoneseed or Lemonweed) has similar suppression properties, but only in American fanclans, and not as many secondary uses.

Comfrey ROOT can also be used for this purpose, in addition to its canonical uses (funfact this plant is also called knitbone). But can cause liver failure in high doses.

Rosemary suppresses feminine hormones in the uterus, for warriors going from Female to Male. Additionally, it’s an excellent antifungal, smells great, and can be used as a cooking spice.

Molly to Tom (Female to Male)

Pine Pollen (particularly from the Scots Pine), can be added to water or foods and increase testosterone.

Stinging Nettle ROOT could also be taken for a transmasc warrior. The above ground plant can be processed for use with allergies, but the relevant part here is the root underground, which has no stinging hairs.

Sarsparilla ROOT is historically associated with testosterone, though modern studies haven’t held up the claims… but, it is a plant an American clan would have access to, and is also used to make root beer.

Tom to Molly (Male to Female) 

FENNEL?? AGAIN??? It’s true.

Through Fennel, all things are possible

It has estrogenic properties in all sexes and has been explored for the creation of synthetic estrogen since the 1930s. This can be used for a transgender warrior, as well as for a cisgender queen with a hormone issue. It must be remarked though; it looks alarmingly similar to poison hemlock, and should not be collected by untrained cats.

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is up next, but first I think this education is worthwhile; phytoestrogens aren’t exactly like true estrogens, but in high enough quantities (as in, much, much more than a plate of soybeans or a mug of beer) they can have estrogen-like affects.

Hops are the uncontested queen of these, and they grow wild in several continents. Hops can sometimes be toxic to cats, based on a genetic predisposition, and mostly to the ‘cone’ (female flower). For the best hormonal effect, the ‘flower‘ (male flower) would be dried and eaten.

Flax flowers don’t contain nearly as much phytoestrogen, but are safer for cats. Additionally, flax is extremely useful in construction, and can be used to make fabric or twine if your Clan is advanced enough.

#transgender #herbs #oooh #might add more tags later