#28 Clearing out our abandoned barn - Italian stone house renovation 

A feral cat started showing up at our door almost a year ago. He didn't look healthy & we started feeding him. He started coming more often so we were able to feed him at set times. He started learning how to meow slowly (at first just "meow-ish). Now, he looks healthy & lives in a cat house we made. He meows when he sees me, lies nearby & watches when i garden. He meows & looks happy when i come home from work. I am happy he adopted us. I hope that Veluto adopts you too.

One of the (many) things I love about you both, is the care and consideration you apply to every task. Everything is a treasure to be uncovered, lovingly restored or relegated for alternate use. Velutto’s house so thoughtfully constructed and placed. When I watch your videos I think how lucky you are to be where you are, but of course it isn’t luck, it’s a well deserved blessing and your home, land and the locals are blessed to have you caretaking the property. I wish you all the best and look forward to many more years of your journey. Thank you for sharing it with us 🙏🏽

After watching all of your videos so far, I find myself thinking, "Aren't wheelbarrows amazing things?!"

You two never cease to amaze me! You are so quietly determined and seem to be up to any challenge. The lamp in the bathroom looks great, as does the emptied barn. I am sure your patience and determination will win out with Velluto as well. I loved his little stretch as he walked away from his food bowl at the end of the video. He is getting more comfortable!

How cute of you to build a house for the cat😁 I am an Italian cat lady, if you want to make a friendship with him (but I think she is a lady...) bring something tasty to eat (a small piece of tuna, chicken or prosciutto cotto), sit on the floor in the courtyard and read a book or do something with your cell phone, place the food next to you, ignore the cat, continue doing what you are doing and you will see that he will be intrigued and will slowly come to sniff you. Don't talk or look at him, let him observe you calmly without perceiving you as a danger and let him leave without you having moved from where you are. If you repeat this for a few days you will gain his trust and he will know not to be afraid of you and little by little you will be able to make friends. A very important thing is to always keep your gaze low, because in their language looking you in the eye is a challenge and you are much bigger than him, so in that case he will be afraid. I'm used to dealing with feral cats (not at all used to humans) and this is a technique that usually works very well 😁

When I was a small child I tamed a neighborhood feral cat. It took a long time and was a lesson in patience for me. Smokey became a house cat and had too many litters of kittens. (My parents didn't want to spend $ to get her spayed.) I'm now a strong advocate of spaying and neutering.

Hard work clearing the barn and convincing Velvet that this would be the most perfect home--all three of you beginning a "new" life. The bathroom is absolutely beautiful and I love the care with which each additional item - the simple electrics - is done with love. Bravo!

And so, the Cat Distribution Center has decided it is your turn... Congratulations on the new addition to your family.😻 Nice job on the cat palace!

Swinging that sledgehammer and destroying that wall while wearing a skirt is a boss lady move! I also enjoyed the still shots showing the piles of pots disappearing one by one.

That is a well-constructed cat palace, I am so impressed. I've attempted to build many of them over the years, but have never achieved your level of quality.

So inspiring. Just a note that the room you cleared out is actually a milking barn for cows. The metal pipes on the wall side are head stanchions and the line through the middle is for their pee/poo to gather to be later cleaned out with water in a hose. Glad you can repurpose it. [ I grew up on an old dairy farm.]

One thing I love to do is putting order on things. But maybe it's even better to watch someone else do it. This was so enjoyable. It's almost like a form of meditation to watch you both work together. 🙂 And so happy that you have both been adopted. Good choice Veluto.

Velluto è una gatto bellissimo e con un po di pazienza diventerà il vostro migliore amico.

Gosh, you both achieved alot on this episode - well done. Great job on the stables .. there certainly was a great deal to dismantle and move! Love the name “Velluto” .. little by little it seems she’s getting there, and that’s a cute kitty house by the way Bertus! Thank you for providing us with a relaxing, easy to watch video - although we feel guilty for watching you “do all the hard work” while we just enjoy! Have a good week ❤

What a lovely cat, perfect name ❤

The fittings in your bathroom looks stunning, I think it adds so much character and it looks totally correct for the building. Great job.❤

There is so much history in your buildings, I can't take in all the details I'm noticing without thinking of when or why it was done that way. It has so many layers through being a working farm, it's fascinating.❤

What kind hearts you both have, love the thermal lined home you made for Veluto, I’m sure the love will be returned… From Ruth in New Zealand……

Your command of so many artisan skills is to be admired.

Making the cat box was a great idea. There is a video on RU-vid you may have watched of making them for feral cats. My cat was feral until he was 2 and it took him a very long time to fully trust me. 😊

Awww! Velluto is so handsome! I am sure he will adopt you soon. It will be a good choice ;-)

this episode of yours should be entered in a film festival - it's THAT good!

That rocking crib is an absolute gem, and then there were two, you are so lucky to find them, I'm guessing they would be antiques

Love watching you make progress and I am excited for you to have a cat! I hope it will be Velluto.

It must be so gratifying for you to see your hard work come to fruition. Congratulations!

Another great video, Sometimes you feel like you haven't done that much at all in a year. But then when you look back at your old videos you realize that you actually did a lot more than you thought. At least that is what we notice after a year of making videos. What will it be in 5 years? That stray cat is so cute, hopefully you'll get him more tame.

Welcome Velluto! You are doing a fine job in preparing the humans 🐾 Handmade gifts and blossoms 💝 🌏☮️🌍💟🌎

Such a precious video! Happy the beautiful cat took up residence at your place. You made it hard not to. The gift items are very special. Thanks for sharing these touching times. Janice from Arkansas USA

Hello from Illinois in USA….bless you for feeding a feral cat…we feed them too. 💖🤩

Nice progress! I love cats. Velvetto is a lovely one!

My brother once lured a big feral cat into the house and then slammed the door shut. The cat ran up the curtains and onto the back of the couch. Turned over lamps etc. My mom screamed "let him out". Fortunately he didn't hurt himself before he escaped. It was very exciting for all of us.

This video put a big smile on my face. Be patient and soon you are going to have a beautiful cat to sit in your lap and hopefully keep the mouse population low in the out buildings.

Excellent video. I love the new kitty addition. He is quite beautiful.

It's so nice seeing you make the effort with the cat, I acquired a few strays over the years that have became very special. Unfortunately that was many years ago and I have survived all my pets. It only takes time and a soft approach. ❤

Looks like some great progress on your farm. So happy for you that Velvet looks like he has chosen you. I have 6 cats. One who was feral and it took me over a year to win her over with food and just sitting outside on the ground with her. I bought her a small dog house and put blankets inside and a cat bed. Now she is very loving and she knows the sound of my car when I pull in the driveway. She now jumps right in my car on my lap to greet me or at night she cannot wait to jump right onto my lap as soon as I sit down. She gives me head kisses and rubs and will sometimes sit at the door and watch our other cats, but she is hesitant to come inside still. I'm also working on another feral cat, trying to get him used to me, but he is very scared of noises, but he does let me pet him. Good luck! It just takes patience which looks like you have!

Thank you for taking care of the cat!

Your stable clearing is a massive undertaking. It looks lovely!

I like how you carefully recover the old materials and objects you find in this old farm. The bathroom is really beautifully decorated! It’s nice the story of the stray cat getting acquainted little by little!

I love the ancient cradle. If it fits in your bathroom it would be a nice place to store fresh towels. If you put a top you’ve worn into the cat box he might get used to your scent quicker. Cats love soft fabrics to ‘poddle’ their paws (our term for it). And the barrel lid would make a lovely wall hanging.

Those socks and mittens were great gifts too

Good job clearly out the barn, many useful items in there. My father always hated cats when I was young it took my mother to convince him to allow me to have one. Needless to say the cat hated him as much as he hated it😂 Years later after I was older and left home a beautiful mixed siamese female cat started hanging out on my dad’s porch. She intrigued him and it wasn’t long till he’d named her Lady and he was forever after a cat lover.

I love how you refurbish rather than replace… And that Cat is going to be a lovely Mosser for you… He’ll come around you guys .. .big softies….❤😊

Good luck with the cat. All my cats through the years just arrived and adopted me lol. ❤️ from 🇨🇦

My cows would love to live in your barn and graze the meadows...so peaceful looking.

i love how very methodical, calculating, patient, and thorough you guys are as you approach all of your various projects and their challenges....BRAVO!, much respect🙏

How lovely, Veluto is beautiful, I loved the nonchalant stretch of his leg as he walked away from you, hopefully he’ll deign to let you pat him soon. The sequence with the terracotta pots removing themselves was enjoyable, saved you some work 😉 . The stables look good after your clean out.

you were lovely to the cat..I know he will love you

Beautiful Video! The two of you are so resourceful! I,m happy for you that your dream of having a cat seems to be coming true. Have a great week!

Velluto is stretching near you ! I believe cats only stretch near people when they are confortable and feel they can let their guard down. 🐈‍⬛

such a beautifully made video

Yes! I love that you are taking care of the cat.

Your videos are so relaxing to watch, thank you so much! I love how you take car to reuse so much stuff other people would just have chucked out. Beautiful cradles, lovely cat (I have two looking just the same).

The story of your cat is so like ours. We made a similar cat shelter after we found our neighbour's cat sleeping on our doorstep in the middle of a below zero night. Eventually the owners asked us to take the cat in as it didn't get on with the other cat they owned. She was with us for 15 years! I hope your cat story has a happy ending too.

Well I've caught up with you and your beautiful Chaenomeles Japonica is flowering again! Splendid progress, beautiful sunlight scenes, excellent clear-out of the milking parlour (I shall enjoy watching your artistic conversion), and yes, Velutto has chosen well for his new home! I really like the finished bathroom wall-light and mirror and that the wire is part of the design. Good save! (The mirror is identical to one I inherited from my grandmother) And that you swing a sledge-hammer in a skirt, Isis! That made me smile 🥳

A wonderful Byrd ,it is huge,⭐️⭐️👋👋

We are also trying to befriend a feral cat. We caught her in a cat trap and had her spayed by the local vet. Were are wondering how long it will take for her to trust us. She now comes up very close to us for her food but won't let us touch her. Before she would run away when she saw us. So good progress has been made. We're in South Africa.

Gosh you really did clean out the stables! What a lot of stuff you shifted. But what a great new working space. I’m waiting patiently for the weather to warm up to be able to eat outside, food always tastes so much better! One of life’s free pleasures the chance to share food with a loved one in the open air! It looks as though your cat has indeed agreed to your adoption! As the saying goes, “slow and steady wins the race” I think maybe by next winter you may see her inside with you both when it gets really cold! Another lovely video❤

Velluto! Perfect, he is a beautiful gatto.

Bellissima proprietà, luogo magico e voi state facendo un lavoro davvero importante, per voi e per la comunità dove avete deciso di vivere. Vi ammiro.

BEST

Love seeing you redo the old light fixtures again, I bet you'd find really beautiful fittings at the markets there, for very little. It is a weakness of mine, even the antique plugs made of porcelain, brass or bakelite.👍

Thank you for sharing your progress with us. I really appreciate the lovely, elegant pace of your videos. When that dairy barn was brand new, it must have given the owners and workers a great deal of joy. Perhaps 'joy' is too strong a word for how the cows would have felt, but they could also have been comfortable eating and being milked in there. The arches in the ceiling are remarkable. Would it work to keep them?

By the end of this video I can see my advice was too late, but you did what I think will work. It won't be long before you'll be able to give Velvet a stroke or two. So happy to see.❤

Love the cats! May I make a suggestion? Instead of approaching him when he's eating, try just sitting on the floor without moving. Don't look at him, cats see this as a threat. Just sit there, moving a bit closer each day. I expect you'll soon be adopted! The cat house was inspired!!

Thank you for another beautiful video, love your work, it's like wandering through a Hudson River School painting come to life (sorry, don't know what the Italian equivalent is). Congratulations on being considered for adoption by the gorgeous Velluto! Your loving kindness will quickly convince him to stay❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

I’d so love to see how you both repurpose those scooped out metal feeding cups"? That was on the horizontal posts 🙂. Bird feeders maybe somehow?

Good luck with Velluto. hope to see good progress with house and kitty in your next vid. The barn is a big undertaking.

My father gave food two cats for years every day. They came to eat. They looked at him but never and ever my father could pet them just once 😊

The things that otherwise would not matter, matter. Patience and thought - care and an eye to the meticulous. Velvet has found you.

Good morning from western Canada. I already really liked you both, now I love you for being kind to the feral cat on your property. The insulated resting place lined with soft fabric is the cherry 🍒 on top!

Friends, You have worked so hard clearing all the materials from the dairy barn. What a lot of saved materials with potential for re-use, also a lot that needs to be recycled. Gentleing a cat, a worthy project for late winter. I would like to see the village(s) sometime, if you are so inclined. CH

Love the cat palace.👍

HI issis & Bertus,Good Sunday morning, I must do first my one things regarding vidoe editing and VW T3 Restorations. now Iàm catching up again with you to guys,Progress is there every time I jump in tho your channel so that`s very pleasant to watch the acomplisement from the last week-The old barn wil be a great work shop first before you will use it as Living space,the removing av all the old stuff takes time aswell the metal work there,some plant potery was found and taking care fo as also the baby wugg as I guising it is,´ the bathroom mirror and the restotrated lamp looks romantic,Looking forward for the next ep stay safe and take care🇧🇪🇳🇱🇮🇹.Greetings From the old 🇳🇱Dutch 🇳🇱Norwegian Hubertus. 🇳🇴🍀🙏🏻🇮🇹

Wow you guys are hard workers! 💪💪💪

Your approach to befriend the cat is understandable. But the best way is to just let it be. It looks like it has other hide outs, but is appraising the situation prior to taking over. It has accepted the food and decided you pose no real threat for now. So by just being present and available it will come investigate and make acquaintance soon enough. Best chances are on a warm sunny day. It will be there enjoying the sun. Just put some chairs outside and sit quietly. The more quiet the more it will peak its interest. What also helps is have it notice *you* are filling the bowls with food and water.

One of you, maybe both is a great nature photographer. You frame your shots really well and at interesting angles. Great job.

My heart melted with your cat story. Velluto has definitely decided that he will live with you. Before long, he will be meowing and purring right beside you. I just love the felines! And, what a nice clean out..... sledgehammer and all! Thank You for this ❤️

We are absolutely loving your channel! Isis when you were interacting with your kitty out in the front of your home and the kitty took off, our cat went after it 😂 Our cat went to back of TV entertainment center.

Complimenti 💪💪👍👋

15:30 : @Antje : what lovely gifts, and such thoughtful wrapping. 👏😘 16:40 : those are called ´Jatjes' in Dutch, which is vernacular for 'fingers'. These are still very common with greengrocers, and other people needing dexterity during cold weather..

I had the experience of dealing with a feral cat and her kitten who took shelter under my back porch a few years ago. Long story short, she and her kittens (she had another litter in the interim while trying to catch her) are all adopted into loving homes now. I really hope Velluto sees the benefits of fully adopting you soon. And what a mammoth job that was in the stables! Hoping those pipes were not made of lead?

Ciao Isis, you are exactly right. Feral cats do not meow, where a lost or stray will. Thank you for taking Velluto in. I am sure he will adopt you. I also take care of a feral cat, he does not meow, and will not let me near him. I gave him a nice cat house and feed him twice a day as well. I bought mine, I could never had made a beautiful palace. Well, done Bertus. The stable is coming along, a lot of hard work. "il sole sorge e bellissimo" thanks for sharing. Amore da N.Y.

When you see Velvet and you're close, you can try make as if you're working on the border plants, and inch closer that way. He may even get interested enough to sit and watch close up.👍

“screams of delight” I’d be so wrapt to get those gifts too. Just beautiful.

Lovely film... thank you

when you can get as close as the cat will allow you without running off just sit down on the ground and let the cat come to you that way you will gain trust.

I love each and every aspect of your videos. I have to admit it took me several months to force myself to slow down to the pace of life in your videos, and just enjoy everything. And now that I have, it’s such a treasure. I miss living in Sardinia. But would love to have property similar to the area where you are living. It seems so peaceful and so much nature. Currently living in Northwest Ohio USA. Where not for my relatives. I would love to move back to Italy. Your property is gorgeous and has so much potential.

Wow that is a lot of work to move your whole workshop and take apart that dairy barn. I love how handy you both are and how you repurpose things. The hand made gifts you received from a viewer were so sweet. We have a cat who visits us once a day. She is not feral, seems like a fat house cat who probably lives on our block. She started visiting us in our garden, then when we sit on the porch and eventually she started coming into our kitchen. We don't feed her but sometimes she takes a treat. She is in love with my husband and sits on his lap and purrs. She does the same things every day, gets petted, walks through our house and rolls in all the same spots, gets more pets and leaves. She never stays more than 10 minutes but visits every day. Cats are funny.

Love the new kitty. He is not feral. Just shy and getting to know you.

Salve. È SEMPRE UN PIACERE VEDERVI. Il Gatto e Favoloso. SE GLI DAI UNA SCATOLETTA DI TONNO. Al Naturale NE SONO GHIOTTI, Sarà tutto tuo per Sempre.

I can just imagine the restoration you will do with the little child’s chair and the cradles are adorable

Great job clearing and cleaning 🧹 out the old stables it is truly a large space !Loving the old stonework hopefully you’ll be able to incorporate some of it in the future space.I so Love 💗 your beautiful Villa has so much charm and character !I am also sure Velvet the Kitty 🐱 with eventually truly trust you both since you’ve shown it so much Love 💗 and respect and care about it’s well being….Thank You for sharing your journey I so enjoy watching your progress …Blessings

My mother always said that it’s good luck if a cat comes to your door.

Just a little more patience and the cat will eventually become your barn cat :)

Gorgeous name very fitting

Velvet is beautiful. I was thinking you could stain and varnish the 2 cradles and drill drainage holes in the bottom panel and use them as planter boxes beside your front door. Herbs or beautiful flowers.

I enjoy your videos so much . . . your thoughtful, careful and deliberate approach is a pleasure to watch.

What nice gifts you received! So glad you are concerned about the cat. He will return the favor and keep the field mice away!

Wow, I'm surprised at how old a 1996 calendar actually is, I was born in 72, but I still can't believe it.😂

This was an exceptionally nice vlog, the disappearing pots was fun 😄 even more fun was getting to know you better! Super happy about the barn and some of the finds 😁 absolutely love the whole mirror lighting design 🥰🥰❤️ the views you're capturing are wonderful!!! 🤞🥰🥰 For Luto or Luta?? 🤭😂