re: Cats and dogs
All my cats were very affectionate and loyal. Had unique personalities that were delightful and were empathetic to a fault.
I had mine trained. (Then again, they had ME trained too.)
I prefer cats over dogs simply because they are not as high maintenance, they don't bark, they bury their shit, aren't constantly jumping up on me, licking my legs when I just get out of the shower or have their nose in my crotch. I have a freer lifestuyle than having to be home every 6-8 hours "to take the dog out".
And I don't have the time to read newspapers, so I don't need one to fetch them for me.