That is only because the cats sense that you don’t like them. If you actually liked them they behave pretty much as you experience dogs does to you.

My cat actually acts a bit like a dog : follows me, wants pets, fiercely protective.

Which is a lot of pressure to deal with, for some people. They also, depending on the breed, 100% depend on you for basic needs. Cats are at least mostly self-sufficient in that regard, and can be trained to do more.

I once witnessed our cat take on a dog that was 4x his size to protect our other cat who he didn’t even particularly get along with. Cats can absolutely love and protect.