The sympathy you are eliciting from your "friends" is truly amazing. I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriver. We've had him for over ten years. You put a model anywhere he can get it and he'll "retrieve it." So, cats and dogs can have a disasterous effect on any model. I'd like to see the photos of your disaster....and, the cat.
DJ

My cats will ocassionally come and visit me in my office/modeling room, but the main problem I have is one of them likes to walk across my keyboard... I got a wireless keyboard and mouse, that problem (mostly) solved. I discouraged trips to the modeling desk by letting the cat get a good whiff of Tamiya liquid glue... hasn't been back near the desk for quite a while. The models waiting for their trips to the paintshop on a shelf too high for the cats to reach.
As for the best case scenario
I don't have to deal with a yard full of dog poop... ever... I use a good quality cat litter, scoop as needed, no problemo. As for people who let their dogs run loose and crap all over... shoot them... and then the dogs if they don't get the hint...

A Texan who doesn't have a dog? How do you survive?

Looks like a door is in order for the Basement!!!! Once I get the new room setup!!!

My wife came with a cat I can't stand.. and that has nothing to do with the fact the cat was a gift from the last boyfriend before me.. it's been 7yrs, a kid now 4yrs old, and a house.
I'm not concerned with the last boyfriend.. Cat I can't stand...

Cat used to channel Pele or Sir Issac Newton and bat bits off the hobby table to see if gravity still worked..sub-assemblies.. mostly completed figures, aftermarket bits.

Simple solution leftover from the kidding around days working at the pizza place.. we used to have squirt bottle fights sometimes and then we took to keeping a bottle in the cooler, then someone put seltzer in the bottle.. that stings!

So, supersoaker, seltzer water, and the minifridge...aim for the base of the tail..

It's been a long time now and all I have to do is rattle the squirtgun and she stops whatever she's doing and leaves the room..the cat, that is, not the wife..

good luck.