Our DC lives in the kitchen at night. We've had had about 18m and she's 2.5. Kitchen is nice and big with the cat flap so she can come in and out. On the odd occasion she's not in the kitchen she wakes us up in the night to be let out but is otherwise no bother. She isn't given free roam at night because of her fondness for mice. She spends most of her days sleeping on her cat tree in the kitchen.
For the first time since we got her I went down tonight for a drink and realised she was miowing at the door to be let out. She doesn't seem distressed but was very vocal and rubbing against me which isn't like her. She was making such a fuss in my way down that I thought she was in there with another cat or had perhaps hurt herself.
I've settled her and come up but I feel awful leaving her in there. She has food, drink, cat flap and her feliway. I don't know if she got excited as she heard me coming or if she's like this every night and I just don't hear her! Often when I shut the kitchen up at night she's already out for the night hunting so I was surprised to find her inside at midnight.
Not sure what I'm hoping to gain from posting but as I now can't sleep I thought writing it down might help.