We'll just have to disagree on that one, zoom. I can't have cats anymore due to allergies, but if I could, I would have an indoor-only cat only if it was like Aggie's and had been declawed before I got it (I would not declaw a cat).

Tangentgirl, maybe you could try out this idea by fostering a cat on a temporary basis to see how you and your boyfriend like having one before you commit to a permanent cat. They are (usually) less work than a dog, but they are not as easy as a goldfish.