They may not be magic, exactly, but they share the elusive attributes of the Loch Ness Monster and the Yeti. Australian is obvious. Dressed animals tend to lose their animal identities and become ciphers or analogues for human characters. Dogs, cats and horses have long, wide histories. They are known in many cultures and have gathered their own rich folklore about them.
Cats have connotations of witch-magic, cosy cottages or revels by night, dogs are loyal and loving.
Horses are noble yet sometimes timid. A child whisked off by a talking horse will find its fantasyland accessible, but a talking Tasmanian devil will take a child to an uncomfortable lair in the bush. Bunyips and the like make good fantasy characters, since they can be reinvented to fit the author s particular needs. Creations such as the gumnut babies were cute in their time, but would scarcely thrive in the tougher atmosphere of literature today. Patricia Wrightson s move has not been followed by many authors, and I doubt if it will be.