There was one night however that our male came limping home all bloodied and beat up, one eye swollen, took him a few days to recover.
Lord, the one big orange tom cat we had in GA when I was about 8 used to disappear for a week or more, come back home with one ear cut, jowl swollen, limping...he'd been fighting with another cat likely.
He'd lay around for 2 weeks to recuperate then depart again when he was healed and able....that was his life cycle, his hobby. We moved in '59 to a new house across town about 6 miles away. Carried him there twice in the car and he would have none of it. The second time he left we never saw him again......
Here's the clincher: this big, fluffy, scrapin' tom cat was named...."Buttercup".
RIP, Buttercup.