Puffskein

"...a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly..."

- Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Magical Menagerie on 31 August 1993

A Puffskein is covered in soft fur and spherical in shape. It is a popular pet found worldwide that does not object to being cuddled or thrown about. The Puffskein is a scavenger, eating anything from leftovers to spiders, but it particularly likes to use its long thin pink tongue to eat wizards' bogeys while they sleep. This makes them a popular wizarding pet. The Puffskein is easy to care for, and they emit a low humming sound when they are content. A group of Puffskeins or Pygmy Puffs is referred to as a poffle.

Puffskein hair has magical properties, and is used as a potion ingredient, such as in Zygmunt Budge's variation of the Laughing Potion.

According to Albus Dumbledore, no wizarding household is complete without a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them use by generations of wizards in search inter alia of the best way to cure their pet Puffskein of drinking out of the toilet.

Ron Weasley owned a Puffskein at one point. Its demise is attributed to Fred, who supposedly used it for Bludger practise. A nest of dead puffskeins were also discovered in 12 Grimmauld Place in the drawing room under the sofa in August 1995.

They were modified by Fred and George to create Pygmy Puffs. Ginny purchased a purple Pygmy Puff and named it Arnold.

Behind the scenes

 * Puffskeins may draw their inspiration from the television series Star Trek's Tribbles, as they share many of the same characteristics, such as emitting a purring or humming sound when content, and that they are both balls of fur.
 * Fanged puffskeins are mentioned as a possible answer to a question on the W.O.M.B.A.T. (first test, question 7), letting us know that puffskeins don't have fangs.

Appearances

 * PS G

Notes and references
Micropuff Boursouf Pufki Карликовый пушистик