This is quite likely why I've had more success with the cocoabo then as my most successful char is only at the tail end of it's 2nd ascension run.
Yeah, the way it goes is sort of that eventually you start thinking "Hm, do I really need my cocoabo/raincloud/squid/pickle/whatever to get me through this part?" So you try it with a volleyball instead, and the answer is either "yes, you do, so get that combat-support familiar back out" or "no, not really, and so the volleyball gets you to the tough stuff faster". If your interest in going quickly grows, you start pushing the envelope and looking for new ways to get through stuff before you thought you could. Eventually, maybe you bite the bullet and ascend with your volleyball at 20 pounds, bring it to the starting areas and find yourself getting the first few levels at ludicrous speed. At that point, when you try to go back to not using a stat familiar, those first few levels start seeming exasperatingly slow. At that point.. you've been hooked.
The cheshire bat or cymbal-playing monkey makes this doubly seductive for hardcore mode, because it also gives you piles of meat. You don't notice them when you're using it, but then you unequip it and suddenly not only are your stat gains crap, you can't afford anything either.