In Mudlarkclan, when kits are one moon old they are brought to the center of camp by their parents. Their names are announced, and all cats present shells to the kittens. Before then, they are called by nicknames by all but parents, family, and family friends. When they have their apprentice ceremonies, their parents spend hours braiding them into their fur, or in the case of those with short fur, making jewelry from seaweed and shells. Shells are given as gifts to significant cats, both in platonic and romantic ways, and are a physical marker of significant cats and life events. For example, shells are given as courting gifts to potential mates, with cats often spending days, if not weeks, searching for the perfect shell. When an apprentice is to become a warrior, it is their mentor’s responsibility to find a shell, and, before the apprentice is given a traditional ceremony, the mentor must present the shell to their apprentice and bow, before tangling into their fur or somehow attaching it to the apprentice. This is a sign their mentor considers their training to be complete, and views them as an equal and a warrior of Mudlarkclan. When cats die, the clan works together to build a raft of twigs and seaweed. The deceased is placed upon it, and their fur is decorated with shells, leaves, berries, feathers, flowers, and/or stones. When all cats have done their part and the body is prepared for burial, the medicine cat then sprinkles sand along their side and their head. It represents both the fact that time is everpassing and all cats will eventually pass on and join Starclan above, and to give them a connection to home on their journey to Starclan. Their family pushes the raft out into the water, and they float away down the river, a physical representation of their final journey.
