Owl is usually strongest when you are building up a broader pet roster and want your active pets to level more smoothly in the background.
If your goal is immediate Sheckle output, a direct profit or mutation pet can still beat Owl in the short run. If your goal is account progression, Owl becomes more interesting.
For ability comparisons, use the Grow a Garden 2 pet ability value list.
For lineup thinking and scenario planning, open the pet calculator.