Aside from Leader, there is only a very loose hierarchy of the ranks. They are separated mainly based on age and skill, and those that are at the tops of their fields aren’t officially given a new rank but rather are acknowledged as such by their peers.
Leader - The leader of the Whisper Clan, elected by the clan elders the day after the passing of the previous leader. Their name remains the same but they are now called Leader [name].
Guard - Cats that protect and provide for the clan. These make up the bulk of the clan’s cats.
Claw - The top Guards of the clan. They are usually the ones who are put in charge of hunting parties and territory marking, and are the ones whose duty it is to guard the clan when they are most vulnerable - such as when the clan sleeps or during clan meetings. Referred to as Claw [name].
Scout - Swift cats that do very little fighting. Their job is to map out areas that are safe to travel, assess any potential dangers, find herbs and promising hunting spots, carry messages, and relay the information they’ve gathered to the clan. The disaster that claimed the Whisper Clan’s home wiped out nearly a third of their Scouts, but those that remained were vital to finding the clan a new home.
Rush - The fastest and most reliable of the Scouts. Known for their keen senses on top of their speed. They coordinate the others and are often the ones who do patrols where reinforcing the territory boundaries are not needed. Referred to as Rush [name].
Healer - Cats that are tasked with taking care of the health of the clan. Typically there are only a small number of Healers in Whisper Clan, so there is no higher acknowledgements to their role.
Apprentice - Cats at least six moons old who study under the tutelage of adult clan members. They learn a little of everything the first two months of their apprenticeship. At this benchmark they take a ceremony where they are officially given their apprentice names, gaining the suffix -paw, and they must choose which path to take: Guard, Scout, or Healer.
Underpaw - Young cats, similar to apprentices, that specifically care for the elderly and infirm of the clan. They are called Underpaws because at times they are quite literally needed under a cat in their care - since a lot of Whisper Clan’s communication is done with body language, Underpaws act as guides to those that can’t see or hear well by pressing up to their sides or bellies so that the cat can feel their ear and tail movements. Every cat in the clan will at some point serve as an Underpaw, and those that have an aptitude for it sometimes choose to stay as one. They are not under the direction of the Healer cats, though they do often work closely with them.
Elder - Cats who have faithfully served the clan and are too old to continue their duties become Elders. They are highly respected and taken care of, and are sought for their wisdom by all clan members.
Kit - Any cat that has not yet been made an apprentice. The mother will present them to the Clan when they’re about 4-5 weeks old, naming them to each Clan member so that everyone can commit their names and smells to memory, and the kittens are expected to do the same for their clanmates. Until their Apprentice naming ceremony they have the suffix -kit.