_______Familiars_______
The biggest misconception is that your familiar must be a cat, or even more stereotypically, a black cat. Not always. Any animal of any species can present itself as your familiar. In fact, the form your familiar chooses to take may be a message, and may be completely unexpected. Familiars can fill many different roles in your life, including that of teacher, friend, healer or assistant. A familiar may arrive in the form of a family pet, but they should not be treated that simply. They are independent spirits that must be respected and honoured. You will develop a strong psychic bond with your new companion, and he/she/it will likely show a clear interest in your ritual work.
Your familiar might not even be a physical being. Having an astral familiar is also a possibility. Astral familiars usually take the form of regular animals, but they also may take the form of more exotic beasts (such as a dragon, perhaps). Working with astral familiars usually takes place during dreams or meditation.
Is it required to have a familiar? Not eveyone has a familiar and not eveyone will have one. You can search for an astral familiar through meditation, but animal/physical familiars have to find you.