I feel your pain. :

Once I lived in a place where, every time I opened
the door I had one cat trying to get out and one trying
to get in.

I lived on a busy street. (I always live on busy streets.)

I still dream about cats getting out.

Searching the street for a little grey body.

It never actually happened, except the one time
my cat leaned too hard against a screen and fell, with
the screen, out the window. (It was a first floor.)

She was so stunned that by the time I got out there
to get her she had not moved! (She was not hurt.)

The only times I searched the streets were when she
was hiding and I was convinced she had gotten out.

Gracie did this last August when we had company.

I just knew one of those goony teenaged boys let
her out.

After I made a fool of myself she emerged, looking
innocent.

Little bitch. ;)

What!?  Sarcasm on a newsgroup?!  Unthinkable!!  Preposterous!!
Stop it!!  8^P

I'll tell you what I do, but it does require the advantage of
an extra door.  Luthien is an in/out cat, suburbia, back garden
is pretty much her terrain.  Muezza.Glorio is strictly indoor
as he is only 4 months old, and was previously found wandering
on the street and I don't want to take the chance of him
wandering again, although I doubt he would since he knows a
good thing when he sees it here, but regardless:

Front door:  leads to living room which then has another door
to the rest of the house.  Since kitten arrived, the rule is that
kitten is not allowed in that room so that door is always closed,
and the fight with the feet and the bags and everything else takes
place there, rather than at the actual front door.  Even if he does
get through....it's only into the living room, and then I settle it
with him and get him out of that room and close the inside door
before I even approach the front door.

Back door: leads directly into garage, which has a side door
to the garden which is permanently open in daytime for Luthien's
benefit (she keeps an extra litter box in garage so she can
take care of business even when she is outside.  She has a
"distaste" for peeing al fresco, so she comes into the garage
for the box).  Same fight with kitten there, but if he gets through,
he only gets into the garage.  I can always catch him before he
makes the outside door, but if not, I hiss like Luthien and you
should see him....he is in the middle of making a beeline for
the outside door and without even a moment's hesitation when
I start hissing, he makes an instant U-turn and runs right back
between my legs.  Good boy!  He gets big praise and hugs and
kisses when he does that so that he continues to respond to
my voice (and my hiss!).  So far anyway!

Fortunately Luthien has learned to anticipate the fight.  So when
I open the back door to let her in....she stands and waits until
the fight with the kitten is sorted out, and then she elegantly
cruises in aloof with fur and dignity intact!  Such a lady, heheh.
Someone posted that she reminded them of Audrey Hepburn,
from her pics...can't remember who it was....but it is so true
of her personality.  So elegant and above it all, but when riled,
she can give what-for with the best of them!  Kitten has learned
not to cross certain lines with her, heheh.  So has the
daughter, in fact!

--tension

I am not going to fight with you, Barry.

If you say it is beyond your powers to keep your
cat inside where she is safe, who am I to argue with you?

Sure I am!

lol