I am a cat person by default, but have had all kinds of pets. Goats, and of course, dogs. I begged my mother for an Ostrich when I was 12. They raised them on the farm down the road, but she said the 6 dogs we had already wouldn't be cool with it. But cats were always the animals you could curl up with.
Dogs are just too damn noisy to sleep with.
The constant breathing, the tail wagging, and the toenails create a problem in the equation of sleeping. Cats on the other hand, are quiet, don't move and generate a soft purr that can put even a speed freak to sleep. They are like small portable heaters that hum. I love that. I did the next best thing.