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Familiars Along with my son, animals play a big role in my life. At the present time, my husband, son and I share our house with three dogs, five cats, two guinea pigs and an English Lop rabbit. I have years involved with dog training and also am a former member of the Essex County Rabbit and Cavy (pronounced k-v and is the proper name for a guinea pig) Club in Topsfield, MA. I was a member of the Old Colony Obedience Club in MA, Boston Agility Racing K-9s and volunteered for various animal shelters and training facilities. In 2000, I started West Wind Dog Training and also created the Prince William County, VA 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Info site. This page is dedicated to our friends that walk, crawl, slither, fly have fir, fins, feathers, etc. WHAT IS A FAMILIAR? In its most basic form, a familiar is an animal (either physical or astral) with whom a witch gets aid in magical workings. This bond is deeper than that of a pet. ARE FAMILIARS CATS? No, a familiar can be any animal. My first familiar (and she is still with me) was/is a dog. SHOULD MY CHILD HAVE A FAMILIAR? This is a loaded question. Much depends on the maturity of your child. Also, are you ready to devote the time, effort and money to having another living creature in your house? No matter how proficient your child is in Wicca, he/she is still a child and expecting a child to have total responsibility for a life is absurd. If you are prepared to accept responsibility for your child and the familiar, then consider assisting your child in the search for one. If not, wait. Remember, the rule is HARM NONE. Every year, thousands of animals are given up when children lose interest and the parents will not or cannot take responsibility. There are many things you have to take into consideration before adding a life - be it a pet or familiar - to your home: Time Commitment - Daily training and classes (depending on species), exercise, life span (depending on species, you are looking at anywhere from a few years to decades. Finances - The cost of the animal is the cheap part. It does not matter if you go to a reputable breeder or a rescue, you can easily drop hundreds of dollars in care the first year alone. The first day alone if you have to buy supplies. What about medical emergencies, feeding and general maintenance. Can you afford the long term and not just the initial cost of the animal. For example, I adopted a dog from a rescue group for about $100 (half was refunded when he was neutered). However, I spent over $100 on a crate, another $75 plus on vet bills (ended up with a medical condition and a coupe hundred dollars after that), collar, leash, enrolling in an training class as I was not yet teaching myself. I dropped over $500 that first week. Human Medical Conditions - Are yjere any allergies in the family? Agreement - Does the whole family agree on brining in an animal? Even if a familiar and very personal, if all do not agree, there can be trouble. Responsibility - Who will ultimately care for the critter? What if Junior looses interest - even in a familiar? When the time is right and all elements come into play, the familiar will come. And consider astrals. There is nothing that says a familiar needs to be corporeal.
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