It was the reverse for me. Went through a few Cataclysm versions (e, f, g), each with their own style, and Zomboid was mentioned by other players from time to time.
Someone gave me an earlier GOG version to try and it's interesting to go through both similarities and differences.

If you do end up playing Cataclysm eventually, maybe try the different graphical tilesets available. Each style can make the game feel better or worse, subjectively.
Also, I mostly used the keyboard while playing. Honestly, don't even remember if you can play with a mouse anyway...