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Mine sits on a low-pile rug and I still slide a cheap plastic boot tray under it. Not for leaks really, just because the tank sweats a bit when the air is warm and I’d rather not find out the hard way. A mat is fine if you already have one, but I wouldn’t go buy anything special for it.
Two of them in one house is totally normal, they’re just separate antennas picking up the same broadcasts. I ran one on the living room TV and another in the basement for a couple years and they never stepped on each other. So the one you’ve already got should be fine.
I’ve had mine in a few different spots and ended up just leaving it where I spend the most time. Noticed no real difference room to room, but I also don’t have a huge place. Kitchen sounds like as good a spot as any.
I just leave mine plugged in on the workbench between cooks and it’s always ready to grab. Only time I’ve had an issue was after it sat untouched for most of the winter, and even then it had enough for a quick pass.
The USB part is what usually gets people in trouble, not the battery itself. Those drill packs can put out way more current than a phone expects, and if you just run wires to a USB socket the phone will try to pull whatever it wants. I’ve seen a buddy’s setup get warm enough that he unplugged it and never bothered again. If you’re going to do it, at least use one of those little car USB adapters that already handles the voltage step down and has its own fuse inside. That’s the lazy version and it’s still safer than raw wiring. The cells themselves are usually fine if they still hold a charge, it’s the charging and output side that people hand wave. For camping I’d honestly just grab a cheap power bank and save the drill packs for a flashlight project or something.
