Animals.. the next big thing?

I found it quite interesting how big of a deal it is to own an animal in post-war days in this novel. Its understandable due to the fact that most of the animals went extinct, but it seems like animals are used to show status. The fancier or rarer the animal, the higher up in society the owner is. It seems as if your status depends on your animal. If you don't have an animal, you are no one. You could always get a "fake" animal for a good price, but if anyone found out then you were looked at differently. Rick even carries around a catalog with animal prices that vary depending on condition, age, and how rare the animals are. It seems crazy to me that having an animal is such an important matter, personally and socially. There are even animal dealers and animal catalogs where you can order animals such as ostriches, dogs, cats, mice, and many others. There are some however that you cannot find, with the rarest being an owl. Its funny how animals were once not worried about at all and just looked at as part of everyday life, but now are looked at as entitys that show your class and your worth as a person. It is also a horrible thing to let your animal die, whether accidentally or on purpose. An owner must take many steps to insure the safety and well being of his animal. Back before the war birds were a common sight, but since the war, they are the rarest animals of them all. Rick is amazed when he is shown a living owl while at the Rosen Association Building. Its crazy to think about how important even the smallest and simplest animals really are in this post war society.