Thank you! My neighbor lets out their cat and I hate seeing it outside. Especially now that it's winter. We live on a fairly busy street too.

When we had 5 indoor cats, (&no ferals in the yard) we used to let them out in the yard for short periods of time, under supervision. Only one would take off, the super-smart, independent one! She would jump the fence & run along it to the neighbors yard for 10 or 15 minutes, just to let us know that "curfews didn't apply to her. Then she'd show back up & let us 'herd' her into the house.
We'd start putting a leash on her for out back, attached to a harness, & she'd just lay there as if we were torturing her. So we'd take it off, she'd behave for an outing or two, then right back to it! Never gone long (she knew where she was loved & had it well), but couldn't resist resisting us!

all the discomforts of not being home

Yes!

Yup, indoor only.

Which is why all my cats have been indoors only. My present kitties have been allowed onto the deck when it is covered with snow. They don't seem to like snow. My last kitty was blind, and in her last few days of life I took her into the yard. It was a beautiful day, sunshine, birds, breezes. I think she enjoyed the warmth and smells. But that is pretty much the limit of outside that my cats get.

Yes. When my 14 yo cat was x rayed for kidney failure they found BB gun pellets throughout his abdomen from when he was a stray. ?
Here he is in the comfort of my home. RIP Mabes.