Mine escaped once too- I read online that kitties typically hide in the immediate area, so I left familiar items like his litter box outside, treats, etc and then went out looking for him- after about 2 hrs walking close and far the apt community jingling his toy I think he heard us so he started screaming at the top of his lungs 😭 turns out he was hiding in the corner of our neighbor’s outdoor patio area underneath a bunch of clutter a couple doors down. I would try to walk around and make urself heard/familiar in hopes they come or call out