If you get a self cleaning litter box and a couple scratching posts you will have a good experience. Really w.e toys you get they will be fine with, but they will prefer all the things you don't give them. Straw wrappers, cardboard boxes, paper grocery bags. As for 8 hour days you'll be fine. The cat personality will dictate how it acts when you get home. Our cat acts like I have been gone for years if I leave for 30 minutes, even if my spouse was here the whole time. And other cats won't care much at all.

Most cats won't come on command, but most of my cats have come and cuddle and sleep in the bed. They will play, and they will want to sit with you on the couch. Sometimes less is more with a cat. I give the cat less attention than my spouse does, and the cat tends to want my attention more then.

Warning. They scratch things. Find them alternative things to scratch. And if you have a laptop, close the screen when you are not in the room, or they might scratch the keys out because they seem like toys. Also, when your laptop is closed it is like a warming pad, so they will probably try to nap on it. When you get up from the couch and go to the bathroom, they will follow you to the bathroom, then run back to the couch and try to nap where you were sitting because it's now a warm spot.

They are VERY easy pets. And mostly like warm spots to nap