Can I ever live with another person?

This isn't me begging, more something I have been thinking about. I have lived on my own for nearly 6 years now, since permanently leaving my mum's house. And in that time I have become very used to doing things my way.

So if I were to get some kind of housemate (platonic or otherwise) I'm not sure I could cope. Having to consider someone else, not being able to do the things I want (or having to do the things I don't want), compromise.

I like leaving my house a tip if I can't be arsed cleaning or tidying up. I like not showering if all I'm doing is slobbing about the house (and I like being able to laze around with no-one seeing or being encroached on by me). And most of all, I like not having to talk to people if I don't want to.

Besides, I have three cats as housemates and they dictate everything - when I eat (always after when they eat), when I sleep, who comes to visit. And I know that I don't need to live that way, I choose to because I want to give my kitties the best home possible. Perhaps I will feel like that if it was a person I cared about? But when I think about it, my instinct says "love me, love my ways". I am not going to become a house proud, neat freak who sits primly on her perfectly maintained couch in her spotless livingroom. Who has the time?

That makes me sound horrible, doesn't it? But the thought of living with another person makes me feel uneasy. If I ever have a relationship, we will need to do the HR Giger thing and just live next door to each other. That always sounded like a good idea to me - I think some of the biggest problems in being in a relationship is proximity. We move in together and all of a sudden all the quirks and foibles become apparent, and it's that stuff rather than the big stuff that puts us off.

Full disclosure: This is coming from someone who has never lived with a man, btw, just someone who has had to listen to LOTS of friends bitching about their other halves and the little things that drive them mad.