Need advice: my original cat won’t eat or play near the new cat’s room

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on introducing a new cat to our resident cat, specifically around eating and relaxing near the new cat’s space.

Our original cat is generally fine in the rest of the house — he eats, plays, cuddles, and acts like his normal self everywhere else. The problem is very specific: he will not eat or play in or near the new cat’s room, or on the other side of the closed door, even when he’s clearly hungry.

This is what we’ve tried so far:

• Feeding them on opposite sides of a closed door, starting far apart and trying to move closer over time. As soon as he hears the new cat eating on the other side of the door, he walks away from his own food and won’t go back to it.
• Offering high-value treats and biscuits he absolutely loves — he’ll eat them anywhere else in the house, but not in or near that room.
• Trying play sessions in the new cat’s room (without the new cat there), using toys he normally goes crazy for. In that room, he just walks around, sniffs things, ignores his biscuits, and doesn’t really engage.
• Short, calm visits to the room with us, no pressure to eat or play, just letting him wander if he wants. He doesn’t panic or hide; he just seems “switched off” and not himself.

So he’s not a total anxious mess overall, but something about that room/the other cat’s presence or scent is a hard no for eating and playing right now.

Has anyone dealt with this kind of very specific block around the “new cat room”? How did you help your resident cat feel safe enough to eat or play there, or did you just accept that they’d never be fully comfortable in that space? Any advice, steps, or success stories would really help.

Thank you!