Greetings everyone. New member here and need some serious advice on introducing 2 new cats to each other (I apologize in advance for this looong msg.) Bolo (10 yrs) and I have moved into my girlfriend's house, who has her own cat (kitten I should say,) Boots who is just over 7 mos. Both are neutered, still clawed and (when alone) very friendly and affectionate cats. I tried following the guidelines from a couple of pieces of books I've read about introducing new cats together and kept them separate since we've moved in, which is now about a week. I keep Bolo in the basement apt which has most of my furniture & belongings, probably keeping a familiar scent around him. The very next morning after I brought him in, a chance sighting from across the room had Bolo growling at Boots, who was eagerly wanting to check him out closer, probably to play. After the first sign of a hiss and retreat from Bolo, I decided to separate the two again. THe rest of that day and the next, Bolo would hear Boots on the other side of the door and instantly growl and hiss. During the week, Boots would sometimes come charging in and little by little, they would start sniffing each other nose to nose for a few seconds, before Bolo begins his hissing and growling and scurries under the bed, with Boots tailing him looking for a playmate. Bolo would hiss & swipe a bit, and Boots would keep his distance, then I would separate them. I saw the sniffing as a positive sign and gradually increased the rate of these encounters. Until the seventh day, when I think Boots can roam around with Bolo for a little bit of an extended period, and Bolo decides to attack Boots. Both were screeching and howling and somehow I managed to separate them (at the cost of some severe scratches!) Our neighbor upstairs, who has had many similar experiences with introductions like this, suggested to just let them duke it out. She even took Boots downstairs and stayed in the room with them as they screetched and howled at each other, maintaining that all I had to do is let them be and just squirt water on them and they'll eventually separate, get used to each other, and that this is normal. I can't in good conscience be watching TV and just listen to my cats tearing each other apart. Is that really the best way, or did the introduction go too fast? Is that Vanilla trick or Faliway really effective? Any advice on this would be most appreciated, as I am really upset at the possibility these cats will never get along... and that one might have to go. Thank you.