Do your cats behave differently if they know you are going to work?

[Toddlerteaplease]

Mine are definitely more distant in the morning, and I can eat my breakfast unmolested. I work completely random shifts so it's not a routine thing.

Mine hides because she doesn't want to be put outside for the day!

No, not really. They are the same whether they see the morning routine or the weekend / working at home routine.

I sometimes get a look of horror and he clamps his eyes shut thinking I won’t move a sleeping cat.

@RobertSmithdoesmyhair She must be freezing, what does she do all day with no shelter?.

Mine look at us with disappointment, “how can you leave us”. They love my days off. Even worse when the suitcases come out of the loft. That triggers severe disapproval.

Not when I'm going to work but when we come back off holiday
ToastyBoyCat's dialogue would be "I'm so pleased to see you, I want you, I need you, where have you been? Can I sit on you? Really, you need a face rub. Please? Please! Never ever go away again!"
ToastyGirlCat would finally show up about 48 hours after we have been home. She'd have a look of total disdain and would say "Huh, you bothered to turn up then. Now feed me."

Boycat gets very upset when it's work routine in the morning. His second bed cuddle has to be cut short so he tried everything to get me back on the bed. Latest trick is to stanf at the top of the stairs to block me from going down, then when I get him to move he goes a few steps down then rinse/repeat.

He follows me around the house crying, then eventually settles on his cuddle place on the sofa in the living room casting heartbreaking looks when I go past. Girlcat also settles on the back of the sofa, instead of going up to sleep on my bed, knowing they will both get a goodbye stroke if they are in there.

They definitely expect more attention at the weekends. Weekday mornings they just tend to curl up and sleep. I am on half term this week (I work in a school) and they are more demanding. I have just made them go outside as they are charging around the lounge like loons. They are 6 and sometimes act like much younger cats!