I live in a cat house

I live in a cat house.  No, not that kind of "cat house" but one with cats.  I have two, Smokey and Ryder.  Smokey was rescued from the local animal shelter and Ryder was adopted from a pet store in downtown Asheboro.  Ryder was housed with a ferret and I believe she thinks she is part ferret.
   I named her Ryder because on the way home she escaped from her box but instead of reacting the way most cats do to being in a moving car she really seemed to enjoy the ride.  Ryder is a tortoise shell short haired domestic and has the typical tortoise shell (tri-colored calico) personality.
  Smokey is a gray Maine Coon hair with brown highlights which gives her that smoky color.  Smokey is the sweetest little girl.  And by little I mean she is small for a Mine Coon.  Maine Coons are the largest breed of cat generally weighing over twenty pounds but Smokey only weighs a shade over nine.
  Our living room has a love seat and two recliners.  My wife and I prefer the love seat but if one of our cats is curled up in one of the seats we will sit in a recliner.  It is my habit to rise early, fix my breakfast, and then relax in my half of the love seat with my morning coffee and my e-reader and read scripture.  Smokey will join me.  Sometimes she wants to be covered up with a blanket.  if she does, she will scratch my thigh to let me know to spread my legs so she can nestle between my legs and then she will stare at me to let me know she wants to be covered up.  If I don't respond she will paw my inner thigh to signal her desire.
   It amazes me how well she can communicate with me without being able to speak.  Ryder is more of a loner cat but she follows me from room to room but the only time she wants to be petted is when I'm in my bedroom.  She will jump on my bed and expect her message.  Smokey is a lap kitty while Ryder prefers to be left on her four feet.  I learned quickly not to pick her up.   The only time I ever try to pick her up is when it is time for her vet visit and she has to go into a carrier.
  It doesn't matter how subtle my wife and I are about that day Ryder can sense it and will find a place to hide.  As soon as she knows she is going she gets standoffish and we have to close all the doors to keep her confined to the main part of the house.  We have to run her until she gets to tired and then we can grab her and put her in the carrier.  Smokey doesn't like going to the vet either but she is much easier to deal with.
  Our cats never go outside and we have provided them with a wide variety of cat trees and cat toys.
Cats don't know how to tell time and should not know what day of the week it is but they know when it is Sunday.  That is the day they get soft food and Sunday morning they start circling the kitchen and dinning room in anxious expectation of their weekly treat.
  I know most men prefer dogs and many men hate cats but I have found felines to be every bit as good an companion as most dogs and much more entertaining.  Whatever concessions we make to them is richly reward in love, affection, and cat antics that have us laughing.  I love it when Smokey gets wound up because she does so many weird things.  Ryder is just weird.  She sneaks up on her food bowl and water dish as if they will jump out and eat her.  Before Ryder jumps on my bed she has to peer on the bed to check for monsters,  If there is something on the bed she wasn't expecting, she will reverse herself in mid-air.  It is so funny.
  I find the sentiment that people owns dogs but are only care givers to cats to be fairly true., I don't mind at all because I get so much more in return.