re: Neat Story
Yeah, very cool story.
I've never had a cat that didn't do some degree of wandering, though usually only for a few days at a time, tops, and usually in early adulthood.
Once we had one disappear on us for about 10 days, and just as I was emotionally preparing myself to never see her again, up she turned, reeking of gasoline and oil. She wasn't really that dirty, but we cleaned her up anyway and she was fine. The trip had apparently satisfied her wanderlust, and she became a happy, stay-at-home feline. She scared me bad with the disappearing act, though.