I've had dogs and cats for many years. My preference is dogs, but cats are special in their own way. You just have to understand they're wired differently. Yeah, no doubt the meal ticket thing is much more apparent when it comes to a relationship with a cat ... but they can be charming and entertaining.
I've always viewed it as dogs being like drinking buddies, and cats being like toddlers. You wouldn't want to depend on a toddler to help you fix your car -- but you wouldn't want to sit your drinking buddy on your lap after a rough day at work. (At least I hope not! :)