My cat was born outdoors under my neighbor's car. The rest of the family scattered, but he moved himself into my family's driveway and just stayed there. We ended up taking him in when winter started setting in and he showed no signs of leaving. Despite technically being an "outdoor" cat, he adapted to indoor life really well. A few years ago, he got out of the house, got a couple of steps out the door, looked around, and walked right back in the house. He knows which side his catnip's buttered on, haha.
That said, it's definitely good to read up on animal behaviors to understand why your cat does the things he does. You sound like a very conscientious pet owner.
