The Witch's Familiar

**Warning, many, many cat pictures ahead**

I keep joking that when I answer the phone from now on I'm going to say, 'Hello Clara's Supernatural hotline, how can I help? Press 1, for ghosts, ghouls and poltergeists. Press 2, for any and all demonic activity up to and including possessions. Press 3, for general enquires, and 4 for anything else. If you require a love potion please hang-up.'

It is pretty common in my small town for the residents to contact me whenever something strange is happening, because it also happens to be common knowledge that I am willing to help. It's the worst kept secret in town. It's been this way since I was sixteen. I don't practise 'witchcraft' but most of my friends and family refer to me as a Witch and I'm okay with it. I've always believed in the old ways and those I do practise. I am as they say, a believer and I use my sixth sense if that's what you want to call it, to help people where and if I can.

So, I guess it shouldn't have been a shock really when the local Witch got herself a Familiar.

I had always known about Familiars but just in case you don't I'll give you a brief overview. The Familiar's of Witches are usually small household pets and although most people associate cats as the standard Familiar, it could be a mouse, frog, dog or another animal. In Ireland, my country of birth, they were thought of as Demons by those who didn't understand and as Fey by those who did. More than anything, they are guardians for the Witch and sometimes the Witch's loved ones. I always hoped that I might find mine, but as I approached my 26th birthday I had begun to lose faith. While I had loved many animals in my life none of them had identified themselves to me as a Familiar, as a guardian for me or my Family. How do you identify your familiar? You just know. There's a feeling, a connection between you and your Familiar.

It was a strange meeting. I was walking to my nearest shop in September 2020 when all of a sudden this scrawny, little, tabby kitten sidled up to me and started winding his way in and out of my legs. He was dishevelled, clearly under nourished and had obviously been in his fair share of street fights judging by the scars on his little ears. As he mewled at me, I was overcome by the need to pick him up and give him a cuddle and I did just that. I instantly fell in love with him and in that moment, I knew exactly who and what he was. He had the most unusual eyes I had ever seen on a cat. We like to call him Dragon Eyes now as a nickname because of his bright emerald eyes and pupils that are most comfortable in a slit position. He looks a little evil at times, which only makes me like him all the more. I stood and cuddled him and chatted to him like a crazy person for a while before I had to set him down and be on my way and to my surprise he followed me most of the way to the shop. Even after he'd shuffled off on his own way, I knew that he would be back. A Familiar always returns.

A week later, one afternoon I found him sitting outside my front door. He looked even skinnier and my heart just bled for him, so I brought him a little sup of milk because that's all I had to give him. My Partner wasn't best pleased having never liked cats himself. I started calling him Puss Puss and insisted that my Partner take me to B&M so that I could buy him some cat food and cat milk. After that he came almost every day for something to eat and drink.

His visits were daily and sometimes twice daily for a month. My Partner despite himself, began to warm to this strange little kitten and had even bought a laser pointer so that he could play with him in the garden.

Then, on the 2.10.20 the day before my birthday, I was standing by my backdoor with it lying open, taking in the Autumnal night sky and Puss Puss strode past me, straight into the house and immediately made himself quite at home curled up on the sofa next to my Partner. He's lived with us ever since.

When it was clear that Puss Puss wasn't going anywhere, my Partner set down some very clear rules because he still wasn't totally sold on the idea of owning a cat and he said that he only let him stay because it was the day before my birthday. The rule that he was most adamant about was, 'the cat will not be sleeping on our bed.'

Well...that didn't last long.

I have two children, my oldest, James is five and my youngest, Rosaleen is three. They both have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as some other additional needs. I was really quite concerned about how they would react to a cat in the house. Up until Anubis came around, James and Rosaleen had only really been around dogs. I have another stray to stay, my big old, pup Alife (full name Alfred Thomas and nicknamed Alfalfa). Alfie will be ten this year and is a mixed breed delight; a Staffordshire/Husky cross he is lively, beautiful and a wonderfully gentle dog with my children. I was however a bit worried about how Alfie would take to having a cat living in his house.

As it turned out I didn't have to worry about either the children or the dog. Anubis (still known as Puss Puss at this point) fit into our family life as if he had been there from the start and while my Partner still says that he doesn't like cats, he and Anubis are as thick as thieves and Anubis often follows him to the shop and back when he ventures out for the weekly messages in this Covid era. Alfie being a gentle soul having gone through much in his young life himself that left him so flea bitten and battered when he came to me that he was missing half the fur on his body, seemed to accept that this cat needed our family and he didn't object in the slightest. I expected the children to become overly excitable in Anubis' presence and scare him off, but they didn't. They treated him as though he had been with them since the cradle.

If you're familiar with Egyptian theology, you might be thinking that Anubis is a bit of a strange name for a cat. Given that Anubis was a jackal headed God that guarded the underworld but, our Anubis is a familiar, and they choose their own names.

We were conscious when Anubis first came to stay that even though he didn't wear a collar and he certainly looked like stray, it was still possible that he might belong to someone and for that reason we were reluctant to name him. Which is why he was dubbed Puss Puss for so long. We posted photos of him on Facebook and we did ask around with our friends in the area to see if anyone recognised him or knew if he had a home somewhere but no one identified him.

After a month though it was clear he was now our cat and my Partner and I agreed that we couldn't just keep calling him Puss Puss forever and decided he needed a name. Our friend suggested that we call him Bastet after the Egyptian Goddess who was worshipped in the form of a cat. It's probably worth mentioning here that I am obsessed with the Ancient Egyptian society and culture and he knew this which is why he put it forward. My Partner and I tested it out the next morning because I knew that as a familiar, he would respond to his name. I called out Bastet, it didn't feel right to me when I said it and Anubis didn't turn to it. We tried other names, Timmy, Tiger, Leo, Jangle, Geralt, Tom, but nothing garnered a response. Then, still with the Egyptian names of the Gods and Goddesses running through my mind I called to him, 'Anubis,' and he turned, walked towards me and rubbed against my legs mewling, and so the Witch's Familiar was named.

Anubis had to have a middle name because I have a real love for middle names. I'm not really sure why, I just do. My Partner chose Tobias and often we now call him Noob Noobs as a nickname. James who has issues with his speech, still can't quite pronounce Anubis and instead calls him Wubis, but Anubis never seems to mind.

My Partner has become fiercely protective of Anubis. In December last year, my Partner fell ill and the intensity of that illness has caused him to also experience some depression. Anubis has become a therapy cat in a lot of ways for my Partner as he always seems to know when his pain is at it's worst and Anubis sits with him and refuses to leave his side until he seems to feel a little better. As a result, whenever Anubis goes out for one of his wanders as he still does, even though he is now neutered and chipped and he knows his way around our estate, my Partner worries if he's gone for too long. My Partner never wanted a cat, but now he can't imagine his life without Anubis in it.

Anubis takes his role as guardian extremely seriously. He sizes up everyone that comes to the house and we can tell that he is making a decision as to whether or not that person is allowed to come back. Whenever the children are in the throws of one of their meltdowns, he will often go and sit next to them until they stroke him and calm themselves. Anubis even looks after Alife and check up on him when he falls asleep outside in the sun. For me, his presence is a comfort. With Mario ill and the children in and out of school, things can be difficult but Anubis in his own way helps with the pressures of it all, he always knows when I need cheering up and likes to join me in my quiet moments.

My stray to stay cat was the best birthday present I've ever had. My Familiar. My guardian. The newest addition to our family.

You don't really have to be a 'Witch' to have a Familiar because it's really just a feeling. A deep connection to an animal and it doesn't matter what you believe, if you can love, you can have that with an animal.

**A quick note from me - My Dear Reader, if you are considering getting a new pet, please adopt, don't buy. There are so many vulnerable animals out there that need your help and that need loving and understanding homes. If you liked my story and maybe thought about giving me a little tip, I would prefer if this time you donated it to ASPCA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.**

Helping vulnerable animals and keeping pets in safe and loving homes requires a commitment from all of us—advocates, pet owners, shelters, leaders, and entire communities. When we work together under a common cause, we’re both saving lives and elevating our society and its laws to ensure cruelty victims and other at-risk animals receive the protection and care they deserve.

- Matthew Bershadker

ASPCA President & CEO

All Things Anubis Tobias Orr Burns (Noob Noobs)