Well, a familiar is like an animal who's body or spirit protects you. A witch has a strong bond with it's familiar and can, if it has a body, feel the same things that it feels.
Familiars depend from people to people, and pets are most likely to be familiars with a body. But familiar's spirits can be everything from an dolphin, to an owl, to a wolf to mythical creatures like dragons. The protect you, shield you from harm and just in general keep an eye out for you. The myth about witches having black cats isn't entirely a myth, since cats in general are known to be great familiars, and often once familiar is a cat. I'm guessing that it has to do with their special spiritual enhancements; they can see ghosts and spirits when people cannot.
21-Jul-2004