My 6 year old son absolutely loves the Snap Circuits kits. We’ve also started teaching him collectable card games (Pokémon, Yu Gi Oh , etc) which challenge his reading and strategy skills. Plus great quality time activity. There are tons of Stem kits out there for less than $40.

If your cat is laying there and purring he might actually know exactly what he’s doing. The frequencies that cats purr at actually encourages bones to heal. He’s trying to help you. That said, cats hate citrus scents. You can also move him where you want him and give him treats there to make positive association. Training and repetition take time. Locking him out might be easier.