Ranger = Pet class. That's the way the profession is designed. You really SHOULD play a ranged warrior if you don't like pets, because without a pet a ranger basically would be a ranged warrior with a different set of abilities. It's perfectly acceptable if a pet class needs to use a pet in order to be at its best.
OT: I find that odd as well. And although it doesn't really bother me when games do this, it would be nice if they added a quiver later on, if not at launch. The little things matter just as much as the big things.