Kitten crossing road - will he get bored? (pic included)

[Knittenkitten]

I have a young rescue cat (about 11 months), we've had him a few months and he's been going out on short trips in the back garden and into a few neighbours gardens. Often just lounging our garden, usually within calling distance.
Yesterday he climbed over the side gate to the front of the house (not easy, it's quite high) crossed the road and went to an alleyway. He is now obsessed with said alleyway, and every time I let him out, he goes straight there.
I am really worried about him on the road. He's my first cat and I did not anticipate the level of anxiety I would feel, I don't seem to be able to let him just get on with it.
He's inside now and pacing like a caged animal, desperate to get back to his alley.
My question is - is it likely he might change his route again and go back to hanging around if his curiosity is satisfied, maybe after a few days (?), or do I somehow have to come to terms with him out on the road forever?
I wondered about keeping him in for a few days, is that likely to make things worse?
I keep trying to tell him what a nice time he was having before he found the alley 😀but he's having none of it.

Alley=mice

it’s instinct. Just wait for your ‘gifts’, I hope he’s better at dispatching them than my old boy was; he’d catch them, bring them to me half dead and then watch me chase a limping (but still bloody quick!) mouse round the house for a few hours 🥴

The only way to stop him from roaming is to keep him indoors or cat-proof your garden so he only has outdoor access on your property. As he's already pacing to get out, keeping him inside is probably not an option as he'll make himself stressed and potentially quite unwell, so if you're hugely anxious you could look at cat-proofing or a catio.

As PP said - alleys are where you find mice (and rats) and often discarded food. If it's lined with bushes, there'll be the added bonus of baby birds to hunt and eat too

It's just his nature and unfortunately the risk of being hurt on the roads is part of having outside cats.

I am more relaxed today, thanks for taking the time to reply. He is in the alley right now, sitting with another cat. I don't want to curb his natural instincts, just trying to balance his youth and foolishness with allowing him roam.

I am hoping he will sometimes just stay in the garden - there are rats there occasionally (yuk!) so no need to travel for rodent fun.

We never know what they get up to or how many roads they cross each time they go out. Hopefully, he'll get bored of going to the alley soon. He's beautiful & looks as if he enjoys an adventure or two

Has he been done? If not, he might be looking for the ladies ;)

The only way you can keep him from going to the alleyway would be to completely cat proof your garden with fencing that stops them getting out. No idea if it actually works though. Or build a catio off a room so he can go outside without getting away

Could there be a bird's nest that he's interested in OP? My cat spends hours sitting under the hedge in front our house at the moment, because there's a blue tit's nest in there. He's gorgeous btw!

And I'm sure if he's a rescue he'll have been neutered before being re-homed @longtompot

This is going to sound really brutal, so apologies for that.
Our cat was killed crossing our quietish road, BUT she was such an adventurer. She was out most nights chasing mice in the woods. She was ten when she was run over and I would rather she’d had all those nights of fun than been kept in all the time. She made friends with many neighbours (used to sleep on the fire guard of one, with their German Shepherd sitting glaring at her) and generally had a high old time.

I really want him to live his best life (much as I hate that expression!). I could balance the life lived to the full if he made it to ten, but he's not even a year old yet. He's not an indoor cat, from the moment he arrived he was looking out and dreaming. He is super attached to us though, and is rarely gone for long.
At the moment, I am collecting him from the alley and bringing him home every couple of hours - like he's a toddler at a playgroup! - so he is only crossing the road when I am watching him!
And as mentioned above, he was neutered before we picked him up from the rescue.

Ah of course, I missed that bit where he's a rescue (though some are rehomed with an understanding they will be neutered at the right age)

We did have ours from pretty much a kitten (also a rescue) so she had ten years of adventures.

Mine crosses the road but he's older, was stray for years and is very sensible with traffic (if he hears a car he shoots under the closest hedge)
Apart from when he uses the zebra crossing he sits and waits for cars to stop for him
He's not done that for ages so I think he's become more sensible but yes, always a worry!

I wonder if anyone would mind if I painted in a quick zebra crossing from our house to the alley. No reason why zebra crossings can't be diagonal, I'm sure.

Name change fail above!