Your Pet Isn’t Your Familiar

One of the things people often think about witches is whether or not their pet is their familiar. And the short answer is: not necessarily!

I love my animals dearly, but a familiar and a pet are two very different things.

Traditionally, a familiar was believed to be a supernatural or spiritual companion that assisted a witch with magical work. It might appear in animal form, but it wasn’t simply an ordinary animal living in the witch’s home. The familiar had a magical or spiritual role of its own.

My pet, on the other hand, is exactly that—a pet. They eat, sleep, demand attention, occasionally cause chaos, and somehow know precisely when I’m trying to do something important. They are companions, not magical assistants.

That doesn’t mean I can’t include my pet in my spiritual practice. An animal may have a wonderful calming presence during meditation or ritual, and some witches feel a particularly strong spiritual connection with their animals. But that doesn’t automatically make the animal a familiar.

And yes, cats have a long-standing association with witches. They’re mysterious, independent, nocturnal, and seem perfectly capable of staring into an empty corner of the room for twenty minutes. Frankly, I can see how they acquired the reputation!

But my cat doesn’t need to be my familiar to be magical in my life.

Sometimes they’re simply there to remind me that even a witch needs to stop contemplating the mysteries of the universe and feed the cat.

So, when I say my pet isn’t my familiar, I’m not saying they aren’t special. Quite the opposite. They’re loved, cherished companions—and that’s more than magical enough.