Normal cat behavior

Question
We started  letting our kitten outside and we did a couple of times. The last time we did was 3 days ago. Is it normal cat behavior for them to be gone so long? If you can answer this it would make my family very happy.

Answer
Mary,

Every cat is different.  So, it is possible the kitten has just not returned yet.  On the other hand, the out of doors is fraught with many dangers for cats.  The biggest three dangers are predators, automobiles, and people.

How old is your kitten?  Very young kittens do not yet have a territorial sense and, so, they may wander off and have no way to find their way back.  Kittens are very cute, so another family may have taken your kitten in.

Indoor cats tend to live 12-15 years of age on average, whereas outdoors cats tend to live only 3-5 years on average.  You may want to rethink whether or not you really want this kitten to be out there.

Normally, cats do not stray too far from home, but, unless your kitten is old enough to find its way back, who knows where it may have strayed.

Without a pattern of long term behavior about how long your kitten tends to stay away without returning home, it is impossible to know whether it is just enjoying a holiday or is having trouble getting back?

Concerned regards... Norm.