This is a stupid argument, and it should probably stop. Generally, once someone starts bringing out dictionary definitions, that's a good sign that the conversation has degraded far beyond the point where there will be any resolution. It's like Godwin's Law for D&D forums.
"Familiar" is a term that can have a lot of different meanings, and the PHB didn't clarify it enough to definitely say what does or does not count as familiar for a druid. So I guess it depends on the DM? RAW is unclear, RAI is basically impossible to determine now that 3.5e isn't supported anymore.
If you are playing in a game where the DM takes familiar to mean "actually interacted with", then your best bet is probably to use the Summon spells. By the time you can Wild Shape worth a damned, you can probably summon those creatures anyhow, unless you're dealing with Dragon Wild Shape and similar things.