Sometimes the smallest moments can mean the most.
After going two years without a proper bath, a rescued Eclectus parrot named Pickle finally got the chance to splash, preen and enjoy the water again — and his joyful reaction is melting hearts online.
In the touching video, Pickle shakes his tail feathers, stretches out his wings and tilts his head back as the water gently washes over him.
He appears to enjoy every second of the shower, but the story behind the moment makes the video even more meaningful.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Pickle’s human sister, Sierra, explained that the parrot had always been nervous around the women in the family.
Although Sierra’s mother adopted him, Pickle quickly became attached to her father and brother. Sierra said she had never been able to form the same connection because Pickle simply did not seem interested in bonding with her.
That changed during a powerful rainstorm.
Sierra noticed Pickle sitting inside his cage and pretending to bathe as he watched the rain pouring outside. She decided to see whether he would let her take him out.
For the first time since his adoption, Pickle allowed Sierra to remove him from the cage.
He then let her give him his first real bath in two years.
“I think we got to bond a lot,” Sierra wrote in the caption.
The sweet shower became much more than a chance for Pickle to clean his feathers. It marked an important breakthrough between the cautious bird and the sister who had been patiently waiting for him to trust her.
Judging by Pickle’s relaxed wings, happy movements and blissful expression, the long-awaited bath was worth the wait.