Aw, Gypsy! How sweet. I bet he felt so much better, they hate being ungroomed don't they?
Effie sounds as if she scared herself whilst on her adventures.
When mine escaped ( he is supposed to stay in as he is deaf), he was gone for weeks and out in all that dreadful hail last year. When I got him back I had to hold his paw all night so he would sleep. If I let go he woke up and made sure I held him again. He has shown no interest at all in leaving the house since.
They are very good at looking after themselves when they have to, but I think it must be very scarey for them at times. I think because my cat is deaf he was too scared to sleep properly outside, he must be extra vulnerable when he is sleeping, with only his sense of smell or the feeling of movement to alert him to danger and that was why he needed reassuring he was safe when he came back.
I do know he can cope though as he had been a stray for quite a while when the rescue centre got him.