lot of people have rituals. Since you are OCD you'd be more prone to "If I do X, Y will happen".

As for spells on animals... I think energy work works on animals as well as people (yes,I really think this, no, I am not calling my pdoc). I did foot massage to a cat that was doing not so well (he's been starved cause he got locked in a car of neighbor). He gotten better. A "shaman" I knew did this on a dog that got cured.
You can be the scienciest person ever, but one has to admit there's thinks beyond our understanding. And this admision doesn't mean you shoud run to your pdoc to have meds upped. Some people see Jesus in a burned toast. Some people vote Republican. Some women think their extensions and plastic surgeries look completelly natural or have hot legs. What is belief you can do witchcraft compared to these beliefs?I think there's more people who messed with it in their teens than those who didn't...