Kneazle

Ron Weasley: "What was that?"

Harry Potter: "It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger."

— Ron and Harry meet Crookshanks for the first time

Kneazle
Species information
Related to	Cat
Native to	Existing worldwide
Distinction	Cat-like with a lion's tail
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXX

A Kneazle is a magical feline creature related to, and similar in appearance to, a cat. They have spotted, speckled or flecked fur, large ears and a lightly plumed tail, like a lion. They are thought to have separate breeds, like cats, and therefore vary in appearance. They make excellent pets if they like a witch or wizard.

Description

Crookshanks, a Half-Kneazle and pet to Hermione Granger

Kneazles can interbreed with normal cats, and generally have up to eight kittens in every litter. Kneazle owners are required to have a licence to own the animals. Some wizards and witches make a living by breeding Kneazles or part-Kneazles. Arabella Figg, a Squib, makes her living in this manner, which would explain why she has so many cats. One notable Kneazle hybrid is Hermione Granger's half-Kneazle, Crookshanks.

Kneazle whiskers can be used in wand cores although they are said to make inferior wands when compared with Unicorn hair, Phoenix feather and Dragon heartstring.

Nature

They have a very high level of intelligence, are independent and occasionally aggressive, and have an uncanny ability to detect suspicious and distrustful people. They can also safely guide their owners home. Because of their aggression towards certain individuals, Kneazles have a XXX classification by the Ministry of Magic if they are not interbred with another species.

History

In 1832, wizard Abel Treetops of Cincinnati claimed to have patented a method of taming Wampus cats for use as guards over wizarding houses. Treetops was exposed as a fraud when MACUSA raided his home and found him putting Engorgement Charms on Kneazles.

Known kneazles and part-kneazles

Pure kneazles

• Hoppy
• Mauler
• Milly

Half-kneazles

• Crookshanks
• Mr Paws
• Mr Tibbles
• Snowy
• Tufty

Behind the scenes

• While their exact life expectancy is never stated, it is known that Hoppy, Milly and Mauler have lived with Newt and Tina from at least 1991 - 2017, at least 26 years, an age that would be considered very old if reached by a non-magical cat.

Appearances

Kneazle in the Magical Menagerie in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Species discussed)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First identified as Kneazle)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Dimensions (Mentioned only)
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• J. K. Rowling's official site (Mentioned only)
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (First appearance)