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Is your cat a Gryffinclaw or a Snifferin?
'We thought it was about time that our feline friends had their own school of witchcraft and wizardry.’
Cats Protection creates Harry Potter inspired Sorting Hat for cats

Harry Potter fans can now find out whether their pet cat is a ‘Gryffinclaw’ or a ‘Hufflepuss’, as the charity Cats Protection has created its own version of the Sorting Hat.

The charity says: ‘From Hermione’s faithful moggy Crookshanks, to Professor McGonagall’s tabby animals, there are many felines roaming the halls of Hogwarts. Therefore, we thought it was about time that our feline friends had their own school of witchcraft and wizardry.’

Each house has been given its own personality profile, for example Hufflepuss is for felines who are sleepy, friendly and calm by nature, while those in Gryffinclaw are loyal, affectionate and love to go on adventures - whether its climbing on the furniture or chasing a catnip mouse around at 5am.

Meanwhile, Ravenpaws are intelligent, vocal and active, able to work out exactly when their next meal is due. Finally, Snifferins are energetic, playful and curious at heart, always sniffing out new places to explore and pouncing on anything that moves.

A poll on the charity’s twitter page suggests Gryffinclaw is the most popular house, with 30 per cent of cat owners saying their pet is most suited to this house. Close second is Hufflepuss (28 per cent), followed by Ravenpaw (22 per cent) and Snifferin (20 per cent).

The charity says acceptance letters for ‘Mogwarts’ will be delivered by owl to moggies around the world.

Image © Cats Protection 

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.