There's also an alternate class feature in either Complete Arcane or Complete Mage that lets you trade out your familiar for the same ability.
Yeah, but you can only do that 3+Int times a day. The feat makes it unlimited.
"They couldn't know that the points from the mainline to the siding were frozen, and the signal should have been set at 'DANGER', but snow had forced it down."
- The Flying Kipper