In message , T i m
writes

I'm not saying that (some) cats can't be good companions because they
obviously are to many, but they can only be such to a lower level than
of a dog from a more general understand of the term for the reasons you
give.

I agree with Adam that, to a certain extent, one's choice of pet is, or
should be, dependant on lifestyle. I was an unashamed cat person for
50+ years, which was great. Cats are self sufficient, and I was out at
work all day. It worked for both of us.

Wifey took ten years to convince me we needed a dog, but we were self
employed by then, and it worked. We ran a PO and the dog lived behind
the counter with us for three years, before we retired. She had a great
time - all the villagers knew her, spoke to her, as did the posties.
We retired nearly four years ago, and she has an even better life, with
us all the time. It is true that dogs are far more a part of your life
than cats in that she is always with me. Even if I'm painting a wall,
she will settle down with me. Days in the garden are favourite, of
course. The other side of the coin is that dogs need more attention
than cats. She is walked twice a day, every day. All of that is a
price worth paying. When I pop out to the shops, she will sit by the
gate until I return. A cat would just open one eye then go back to
sleep :-)

--
Graeme