Totally regretting my decision to take in a stray cat!

Number one reason, they are DUMB as anything!! We found Rollins about a month ago at my parents house. He was this tiny, sweet little thing and the kids convinced me to take him home. So we did, and spent a small fortune at the vet making sure he was healthy, and he started making himself a part of our family.

All was fine, until about a week ago. What happened a week ago? Who knows... But whatever part of his brain that remembered "Hey, I'm a stray cat" must have had an "aha" moment, and now EVERY chance he gets, he bolts for the door, and most times succeeds in running out the front door.

Unfortunately, we have big shrubs around the whole front of our house, so the little bugger hides in there. I suck at finding the damn thing, so I make the boys crawl around in the shrubs and find him. Last night it took 1/2 hr (and him climbing 1/2 way up the tree and back down again) before we could catch him.

Will he outgrow this? Or are we doomed to playing 'beat the cat' every time we run to the door? Last night when he got out, part of me secretly hoped that he wouldn't be found again so that we wouldn't have to deal with this every freaking time, but I know that's irresponsible pet ownership, and as my family will tell you, I have a slight history of irresponsible pet ownership as it is....