I've just joined and I'm hoping for some others opinions. I have an 11.5 year old female called Kyo. 8 months ago, my other cat lost his fight with ckd and hypothyroidism. He was 12 and they had lived together all their lives. He was the more dominant, she's a submissive anxious scared cat. They got on well not super bonded but mostly friends except for the occasional boofhead behaviour from him where he would play a bit rough or push her out of the way to sit with me etc. She actually seemed to thrive after he was gone. Still scared and hiding with visitors or rain thunderstorms etc but under normal routines very happy. So I went and rocked the boat 3 weeks ago and adopted a 2.5 year old male from a shelter called Norman. Not because I felt she needed a friend, more that because of health issues I spend most of my time home and was missing the extra company of another cat. Even though she's my world, I was feeling the gap. And there is a huge issue in my state with the rental crisis and shelters, rescues are full and I felt I had the time space etc to at least take one cat out of the system. Norman was bought in with another cat that he wasn't bonded with. He was the submissive of the pair. The shelter was free range in that the cats had their doors open during the day to roam if they wanted. Apparently in 4 months he had very rarely came out and just watched the others from his run. I visited him 3 times before and he was always in his run. Very affectionate but shy. So I thought he could fit with Kyo. I bought him home, safe room etc scent swapped for a week. Kyo never hissed at that stage, checked his door numerous times. Mostly acted normal perhaps a bit cautious if she heard him. She has always spent most of the day up the front of the house in my bedroom, he's in the back end. I tried the shut her door, open his after a week but she panicked about the shut door and he didn't come out and I didn't want to force him. So I left both doors open during the day while I could supervise. After a few days he sat in the doorway a few times, she saw him from across the hallway. A hiss from her and she would walk calmly away while he watched. It's now progressed to him being out all day under my supervision down the back of the house. Kitchen dining family room laundry and bathroom which is his safe room. She mostly stays up in my bedroom, ensuite but comes down the hallway and also into the front lounge near the kitchen entrance. She's eating well, using her tray though I moved one up to my ensuite for her. She comes into the kitchen as normal to eat. He's being fed in his safe room with door open. They have had a few close encounters. She hisses if he gets too close. He's started moving towards her low to the ground, ears forward doing those long drawn out prrt greeting? noises. He gets too close, she hisses, he stops or backs away, a couple of times with a growl. We have basically been at this stage for a week. She's avoiding the back end of the house to mainly coming down at dinner time or maybe once a day for a look perhaps. He does try a few times a day to go up to her room but I call him back or steer him back which he's very good about. Should I just continue on until she eventually gets more confident. Or should I allow him in her room for short supervised visits. I've felt that I should let her keep her safe space as long as she needs but I know from past experience she can avoid uncomfortable situations indefinitely. Sorry for the long post.