Male cats are usually the ones to go out and then come back in a few days, next time few weeks, then months... and then they disappear for good. I've never had a female cat go away like that.
My neutered male cat sometimes disappeares but with exception of that one time I had to fetch him from the top of a 14m tall pine tree he always returns. My other cat (also a neutered male) never goes away for more than half a day.
