Familiar

Familiars are enchanted creatures who follow and guide new witches to protect them while they learn the craft. After their work is done, they run away to their next charge. Naturally, familiars are attuned to the seasons and phases of the moon and can be helpful in teaching the young witch a heightened awareness of his or her environment.

As seen with Tuatha, even evil witches have familiars; guiding them down the path of evil. Certain familiars are allowed to become human as a reward for their faithful service so they can guide and train other familiars as well, like Katrina.

Powers and Abilities
Active Powers
 * Sensing: The ability to sense the location or presence of other beings. Kit possessed the power to sense evil and could identify demons and other evil beings, as well as being able to see ghosts and astral beings.
 * Agility: The ability to possess magically enhanced agility. In human form, Kit possessed enhanced agility as well as razor sharp nails. It is unknown if all familiars possess agility, or if this is exclusive to cats.

Appendices

 * (Book of Shadows text:)

Familiars

 * Familiars are enchanted
 * creatures who follow and
 * guide new witches to protect
 * them while they learn the
 * Craft. While they are often
 * cats, other animals, like
 * dogs, rabbits, horses and
 * snakes can be familiars as
 * well. Familiars are naturally
 * attuned to the seasons
 * and phases of the moon and
 * can be helpful in teaching
 * the young witch a
 * heightened awareness
 * of her environment.

Familiar Hunter

 * Main article: Familiar Hunter

When a familiar betrays its witch, it will become a warlock and the first thing it does is kill its former charge to obtain his or her powers. To become a permanent warlock, it must shed all of its lives before the next full moon. If it succeeds, the warlock becomes immortal. But if it fails, it becomes a familiar again for all eternity. In a cat's case, it needs to shed all nine lives before it can become immortal.

Known Familiars

 * Rasputin (possibly; Penelope Halliwell's; moved on)
 * Kit (Prudence, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige's; moved on; made human)
 * Mau (Ruby LaFontaine's; left)
 * Mau (Ruby LaFontaine's; 2035)

Notes and Trivia

 * Rasputin was possibly Penny Halliwell's familiar.
 * When Kit transformed into a woman, she said that she had moved on when she had fulfilled her purpose with that particular charge.
 * Ruby has received two familiars in her life, as the Elders still have hope that she will turn to the good side.