I agree.
I have Buford, a 15-lb brown Tabby.
Trust me, he's not fat. He is one large and strong cat.
He's block-headed, intelligent, independent-minded and sassy. Been that way since he was a kitten and he's now 7 1/2 years old.
If my current girlfriend said "It's either me or Buford", I'd have to tell her good-bye.
Probably an easy choice.
Would that be you position if she was seriously allergic to cats? Many people are...including me.
That's one reason I was sure Xena's Guy was the one . . . the Ferocious Feline Bebop Trio fell for him instantly. He's said that if ever I drive him to leave me, he's taking Dennis the most excellent boy cat, and leaving me with the Dread Boston Salty, which I gotta say would be the payback from hell. ;)
(Who am I kidding? When Salty was at boot camp, I hardly slept for two weeks.)