​Familiar vs Pet

If you are a witch of any kind, it is quite likely (though not at all mandatory) that you have a pet of some kind. Whether that is a cat, a dog, a snake, a bird, or some other furry/feathered/scaley creature (or something different entirely), he or she is likely regarded as a member of your family. We devote our love, time, and resources to make sure they are well taken care of, and we mourn when they are sick or they pass on. We may even think of them as guardians or a physical representation our spirit or totem animal. Another word that gets tossed around regarding out pets can be “a familiar”, but what is that exactly?
If you google the definition of a familiar you likely find, at the top of the list, that it is a demon that is under the control of or obeys a witch. While that very Christianized definition is quite popular among nay sayers of the craft, it is not entirely accurate. A familiar is not a demon, and is not under the control of the witch either. The relationship between a witch and her/his familiar is a mutual partnership. One can manifest a familiar into their life (usually through meditation or ritual), or one can appear to you of its own free will. Either way, a familiar is generally a physical, living creature. A familiar is not a pet. It may come to live with you, or it may come when you need it (or it needs you), but it is free to help, or not, as it sees fit. You can call on them to help you with magical workings like manifesting, healing, protection, or any other magical workings you need. While calling on a familiar is not an every-day thing, and you don’t need them for every little spell you do, it is also not a “one night stand” either. You don’t call for one just to drop it after you are done. It is a magical partnership. You can call on them when you need, but they will also seek you out for help when they need you.
There are other ways to attain magical help as well, without the commitment of a familiar. You can call on your guides, angels or other beings from alternate realms/planes to help you. This can be more of a one-time deal, though it is often best to build a rapport with them before asking for their help. It is always good to know who you are asking for help, and if they are even likely to supply such help. Some  beings/entities prefer to help with certain kinds of requests more than others, or like to build a relationship before offering their services. Always be careful and take precautions so you don’t end up attracting the wrong kind of help on the astral planes. This can also be done through meditation, journeying, ritual, or astral projection (if you able to do this).
Another way to attain magical help without a familiar is to create a thought form or servitor. These entities are made by you for a specific purpose, and are to be used for no more than 7 days. These can be made though ritual or visualization. A statue to house it in is commonly used. A thought form or servitor is generally made with a specific purpose in mind, created and fed by your energy, and set it to dissipate when the task is done or 7 days are up. These are always temporary help, and are great when you need that extra help to carry out whatever you are trying to manifest, create, or otherwise get done. Just to note, a servitor or thought form can sometimes be made by accident. Especially when we hard core focus on something. If one fixates on a problem or the desired solution we wish we could create, one can accidentally create one that will try to carry this out for us. However, this is not a desired outcome, since there would be no control on the part of the creator (you might not even know it exists), and so there could be unforeseen consequences. It is always best to try and process our negative feelings like anger, grief, and sadness in positive ways so this does not happen.
Any of these ways is acceptable for acquiring magical help. It is up to you to decide which one would work best for you, or what would be the most help in your particular situation. Personally, I have never called for a familiar. I have had many pets that I was very close to, but none that I have ever asked for magical help from. How about you? Do you have a familiar? Would you want one? Do you ask for magical help elsewhere? What is your experience?