Lassie the Cat

"Timmy's in the well," my cat, Tinker meows in the middle of the night a la Lassie. My DH swears when she bursts into our bedroom at 3 AM, meowing loudly and sometimes howling, she's really trying to tell us something urgent. Why else would she awaken us and shout at us? She must have some canine or human DNA, I'm sure of it. She has no trouble making her will known. When I've been working too long and not paying attention to her, she jumps up onto my desk and parks her furry butt right in front of my computer screen. If I have the audacity to keep working, she swipes at my fingers as they tap the keys. "Pay attention to me" comes through loud and clear.
Speaking of cats, I've noticed a strange trend among my many writer friends. The vast majority are cat owners. Maybe it's because we can relate to their nocturnal nature. I'm often found pounding away at the keyboard in the wee hours. Or perhaps it's their preference for solitude that draws us to them - writing is a solitary endeavor. Although I must admit, long before I was a writer, I was a cat lover. Maybe it's my lazy nature. I have no use for an animal I have to toss a toy to a million times. All one has to do to amuse a cat is throw a toy mouse - once. Particularly if the mouse is laced with catnip.
So what about you? Do you have an animal preference?