Snakes, fish, and lizards are great. REALLY great, I adore them all.

Sometimes though I think it'd be really satisfying to have a sociable creature to keep me "company", something more of a companion and a little less living decoration.

I'm compiling a list of things that fall into that category so I can do some pros/cons and find a fuzzy friend that is a good fit for my current living situation and such.

I've only ever had a cat before, and it was really my sister's, so I don't have much experience with warm-blooded pets.

So far I'm considering:
-cat
-dog
-rabbit
-guinea pig
-rat
-hedgehog(? a little less fuzzy, but so cute)

I'm extremely hesitant when it comes to the idea of a dog. I think in the end what I really want is a dog, but I'm pretty sure that I do not have a good living situation for one. If I did get one, I'd hit up a shelter for an older dog. I also live in a 2 BR apartment, which isn't best for dogs either.

In addition my girlfriend is allergic to cats, so that might knock that out of the possibilities category.

Would you guys give some input on this one? I'm really looking for something that enjoys human companionship, which generally means something like a dog or a cat being the best choice, but I'm expanding my options to possibly solve the aforementioned problems.

thanks

Also, feel free to suggest animals I haven't thought of yet!