Origin Sale On Selected Sims DLC ( Till June 21)

I'm thinking of getting either Get to work or Cats and dogs, but can't decide. I haven't enjoyed playing with animals that much in Sims 2, but I'm really excited about the new neighbourhood in Cats and dogs. I really don't want aliens in my game and Magnolia Promenade seems like a bit of a rip off, but I'm very excited about the new careers. In theory I'm also excited about retail stores, but I found them so boring in TS2 (never played TS3).

So, what would you recommend? Is there any stuff/gameplay in Cats and dogs that make the pack worth it even though you're not crazy about the animals? How noticeable are the aliens? Is Magnolia Promenade a better neighbourhood than it seems?