I have a lot of farm cats - male and female, some are tame, others feral. I leave food twice a day though. Two of the males have been gone abuot 6 weeks, they always seem to do that around now. I assume they go off hunting in the fields, and find enough to eat. Then one morning they suddenly are there waiting for food. One of the females spent the whole summer on the railways enbankment - I could see her because she was white and stood out. Another one appeared at weekend, a female, after being missing for a month and rubbed round me - food may have been the reason. So try not to worry.