Things to Think About Before Adopting Your Magickal Cat/Kitten:
As a fellow pagan, cat owner and familiarist, I have a few tips for you before hand.
Cats are highly rewarding, loving, helpful and emotionally involved creatures. But having a cat is not easy, as they need alot of training, care and are often very free-thinkers (especially familiars, they will get away with murder just because you let them). You want to make sure before you get your new kitty that you’re ready and willing to play with hir at least once a day, spend time petting and loving hir, giving hir space when ze wants it, feeding hir a healthy diet and on a regular schedule, taking hir in for check ups and brushing hir when ze sheds the most (spring/fall time) to keep hir happy and keep your carpets hair free. And of course, make sure you’re willing to put up with any weirdness ze might have.
On the pagan side of things, familiars are fantastic. Oskar helps me with most all of my rituals and is by far the most involved cat I’ve ever met in my entire life. He sits with me when I meditate, he doesn’t get in the way and he’s very receptive to most all energy work. He feels me and I feel him. And that’s important. When picking our your new cat/kitten, don’t just pick the one you think if the cutest/most playful and take hir home. You want to interact with many of the cats there and find the one that you just click with. I remember picked Oskar up for the first time, it was like I found the other half of my soul. Hopefully you can find a connection like that, or at least find the kitten that is the most connected to you. A calm, quieter kitten or even an older cat make good familiars, because they get into less mischeif.
But with all things cat related, there is mischeif. Make sure you’re ready to have your altar messed with, things knocked down, candles played with (while you have a heart attack because it seems like ze’s going to burn hirself), have to be more concious of where you’re walking because ze’s underfoot half the time, have offerings taken/eaten/drunk off of your altar, have your salt eaten (tho maybe that’s just my familiar….), ect. And make sure you’re ready to repremand quickly, but also forgive and be patient with your new familiar. Sometimes they aren’t as interested as you’d like them to be, and that’s okay. Give hir a few years to settle down and they’ll learn.
I’ve lived with Oskar for five years, and I have to say, having a familiar is the most rewarding thing in my life. I have a deep appreciation for anyone who works with felines and has a connection like I have with him. I know I just wrote you a book and it’s probably not going to help you pursuade your parents, but I hope it helps you, when the time comes.
Also, do please think about adopting an older cat, kittens are often the most adoptable and many older cats that make fantastic pets and familiars get over looked and put down every day in favor of their younger, fluffier cousins. I got Oskar when he was 6 months old, and I don’t regret getting a grown cat over a kitten. Often they’re already house broken and know not to claw on things. Make sure to get your new friend spayed or neutered if they aren’t already.
Good luck with your parents. Maybe remind them that cats are less work then dogs, generally quiet, lower bloodpressure and as always, are rewarding, lovable, independant pets that work well in busy households.
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