Mine isn't allowed upstairs but during the day has free run of downstairs. At night we close the lounge but he has the kitchen, hall and another room to roam in. I think it depends on lot on how much playtime he has, how many walks, how big the kitchen is and if he has his bed and toys in there? Its hard to make comparisons but on the whole, Mari's right, they do like to be where the family is so I try to include Humphrey as much as possible.