Awwwww!! Sweet photo!!! I’ve noticed that though: many animals really understand you’re trying to help them. :)
Have you considered keeping Hobo as an indoor cat? Back in the 90’s, we found a HUGE Manx tomcat cowering under our apartment building staircase, injured and unhappy. He was a big, rough-looking specimen, with a bullneck and crenellated ears — and a huge gash on his back (probably from a car). We took him to the vet, got him stitched up and took away his family jewels, and brought him home. We named him Samwise Gamgee, and he was the BEST cat ever. So incredibly affectionate and full of personality. He learned to use a litterbox right away and never made mistakes. It was like he said, “Finally! I get to be indoors!” He sat in the windows and looked outside but never, ever tried to get out or looked like he wanted to. He was a bright light in our household until he passed away eight years later.
Anyway, just a thought. Maybe Hobo would like to be an indoor kitty too!
I already have two indoor cats. My mom and her two lived with us for a while last year and there were definite issues between hers and my orange tabby, Rocket. So I doubt we can go that route, but he is free of Feline Leukemia and rabies, I’m going to try to get him to live in the back yard but we’ll see.