i do that.
i've learned that they really just want to lay on whatever i plan on working with so now i have 2 quilts that i never put the binding on and i use them to distract the cats.
i go in the room and pretend i'm going to work on those quilts, they come and lay all over it and play with the strings and batting, once they are happy on those quilts - i pull out my real project and get to work.
i also set up a folding chair and draped quilts over it like its a tent and they go underneath it when they want to go to sleep while i'm working.