Everyone loves a good rescue story, but some pets don’t immediately open up. It takes a loving, patient parent to ease their fears so they’ll learn to trust again. Rescued Cockatoo, Chloe, is one of those pets, and it’s taken 780 days to finally do the one thing these birds are known for—and it’s a beautiful moment.

If you’re in need of a heartwarming, tear-jerker of a video, this is it. Watch as Chloe chooses to take the leap and trust that her new mom will never hurt her, and will remain a steadfast, loving figure she can count on.

Chloe’s been in her new home since January 2023, and is just now beginning to understand she is safe. This sweet girl’s progress to let love in has been slow, and not always “linear,” as @apparrotly shares, but she’s still grateful for any progress at all.

In a previous clip, the timid Cockatoo let Mom pet her for the very first time—14 months after her rescue, and when Chloe first got close enough to explore Mom’s feet, she shared the clip explaining, “Chloe doesn’t let me touch her or even move my hands around her when I’m looking at her.”

So as you can see, it’s been quite a journey to get to this point, but Chloe’s getting there little by little. The video brought longtime fans who’ve followed Chloe’s story to tears.

“She’s gonna be your sidekick I know it,” famous Cockatoo Cumulus’ Mom wrote. Another added, “I am literally crying! I have been watching you build this relationship for so long!” And another offered praise writing, “I knew she would eventually get there. Trust, love and a lot or patience can overcome so much.”

Related: Precious Cockatoo Loves His Doctor So Much He Sings a Special Song About Her

How To Help a Rescue Cockatoo Adjust

Chloe’s journey is inspiring, but it’s taken a lot of work to help the reserved Cockatoo get where she’s at. Northwest Parrot Rescue explains that the acclimation process in a new home can be done in a few steps, and the first 72 hours are crucial for setting the tone.

The first is to create trust and bonding. Keep your bird in an uncovered cage for 48 hours to become familiar with the new surroundings and only the adopter should feed, water, and care for and speak softly to him/her. This is very important for forming a bond.

On the second day, only the adopter should open the cage and let the Parrot out on their own volition. The home should be distraction-free and quiet. Asks the bird to step onto your hand to slowly walk through the house. No one else should be involved. again, this matters!

Step two is strengthening the bond. The adopter shouldn’t show affection to any other pet in the home for the first three days to avoid jealousy and unwanted behavioral issues. Also, avoid responding to the Parrot if they’re making loud cries or unwanted phrases. Now’s the time for boundary-setting.

They may be acting out to see what they can get away with or to get attention—just like kids! Practice positive reinforcement by rewarding them with time out of their cage for being quiet. Do this for 30 days to set the routine. Likewise, ensure you’re giving them plenty of attention when they are out because Parrot species require a lot of dedicated time with their main person.

The org suggests offering attention in small increments of 10-15 minutes at first so any schedule changes don’t throw them off. Cuddling should be 30 minutes or less and be consistent. Parrots thrive on scheduling and consistency so if any of these things are broken in the first week home, they state to start over.

Some rescues just need a little more time to adjust, and that’s okay. Look at Chloe. 780 days later, she’s finally able to give Mom the same love in return.

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DEAR ABBY: My wife and I went for our annual checkups seven months ago. We were both overweight and told by our respective doctors that we needed to make some lifestyle changes to improve our health. Since that time, I have made the needed changes. As a result, I have lost 40 pounds, and all of my vitals are in a healthy range.

My wife has not made any changes. There has been no weight loss, and she has to take medication for a couple of issues. While I have made sacrifices, she has made excuses. I love her dearly, but I am very frustrated. I have been positive and encouraging, but it doesn’t seem to help.

We are both at an age at which we need to take our health seriously. This isn’t about looks or appearance; it’s about health. I really want us to have long and healthy lives together. If there is any advice you can provide, I am open to hearing it. — FITTER IN INDIANA

DEAR FITTER: Other than modeling healthy exercise and eating habits for your wife, there is nothing you can do to force her off the trajectory she is on. Changing one’s lifestyle (or not) is a personal choice. Motivation has to come from within, and she has to be determined to make the effort. Her doctor, not you, should discuss making those changes with her and the reasons for it. Even small changes can make a big difference.

DEAR ABBY: I have a 7-year-old great-granddaughter, “Emma.” She’s beautiful, smart, happy and just wonderful. Her dad, my grandson, and her mother are no longer together, but they share custody. My grandson has since gotten together with Baby Mama No. 2 and has two other children with her.

Emma’s life has not been the easiest because of the fighting and disagreements. Her mother is also with another man and has other children. Her mom’s boyfriend is not nice to Emma. My grandson is trying to get full custody of her.

Emma is bright and intelligent. I would like to talk to her about independence and not depending on any man to support her. I know at 7 she’s still too young to understand. What is a good age to teach her independence and how to provide for herself, and rather than “need” a man, it’s healthier to be with someone without depending on him? — HER “GEE-GEE” IN COLORADO

DEAR “GEE-GEE”: This is not a one-time lesson you are trying to convey. It’s a lifelong process. The first thing you should do is become a role model for Emma. Expose her to books and videos about women who are independent, building careers and lives for themselves rather than depending upon a man. Then teach her self-respect. If you do, those are lessons she will take with her into adulthood.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Until you’ve lived with a partner, you haven’t fully discovered all of their intricacies and quirks. And sometimes, that might just be for the best. Redditor SeasonBeneficial5871 asked, “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve discovered about your partner only after moving in together?” Here’s what people said.

1.“My partner secretly freaks out whenever I’m cooking, and the stove is set any higher than medium-low. If I walk away for more than one second, he’ll turn it down but he doesn’t say anything.”

—0317

2.“She eats Oreos by taking a tall glass and filling it about three-quarters full of cookies; then she fills the glass with milk. She then waits about five minutes, stirs it all into a slurry, and eats it like a soup.”

—MrdnBrd19

3.“I had an ex who would wait until the last minute to shower and get ready but refused to use a towel to speed up the process. She’d slather herself in baby oil while still wet and wait for both of them to airdry before even starting her hair or makeup.”

—Careless-Passion991

4.“He sleeps like a vampire; sleeping on his back, with his arms straight by his sides or folded on his chest. Every. Single. Night. Some nights, he doesn’t even change his position at all. I was seriously concerned during the first couple of nights that we slept in the same bed.”

—Rag1ngRedHead

5.“He wanted to put all the cutlery just straight into a drawer without any divides between knives, forks, and spoons. Just… All in there in a mess.”

—thekingofwintre

6.“My ex slept with his eyes slightly open. The first night, I thought he died. The second night, I almost performed an exorcism.”

—Relative_Action_1711

7.“While I’m cooking, he insists on opening the oven MULTIPLE TIMES to check if it’s ready. It makes me fume.”

—geek_the_greek

8.“After washing the dishes, he goes to the bathroom and washes his hands. Both the kitchen and bathroom have hand soap.”

—Lil_boba4

9.“She doesn’t talk in her sleep but she hums. Sometimes I can make out the tune. Last night it was Pink Pony Club.”

—Pleasant-Finish8892

10.“I always thought that when movies or TV shows feature someone talking in their sleep, and they just spout random, silly nonsense, that it was mostly for comedic effect and wasn’t really a reflection of real life. Nope. My partner talks in his sleep, and it’s always just absolutely random, silly nonsense. The most recent one was, in a tone of dismay, ‘There’s ice cream all over the stairs…’ followed by a drawn-out ‘broooooooo.’ He also periodically giggles in his sleep, which, frankly, is one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen from another human.”

—T3nacityDog

11.“He was 37 and still didn’t have a ‘spot’ or ‘home’ for his keys and wallet when he got home from work or wherever. He just randomly placed them in two separate random spots. Never the same spot. Panic ensued every single morning.”

—spacecadetpep

12.“He wakes up every night to find something to eat from the fridge while half asleep. And he drops food all the way from the fridge back to bed.”

—OldFun9706

13.“He makes up songs about everything he’s doing/seeing/thinking about. I know where he’s been in the apartment because he’ll make up a song about ketchup after grabbing something from the fridge or sing a song about moisturizer while doing his skincare. And, of course, he tends to make up silly songs about me most of all.”

—Former-Cat8735

14.“My boyfriend essentially needs blizzard conditions to sleep (ceiling fan, side fan, completely naked). Sometimes puts an ice pack under his pillow. He also puts blizzard sound effects on his earphones to drop them off. If I’m there, he also constantly hugs, squeezes, or wraps himself around me…”

“…We only lived together for a week at a time before. As I need basically the opposite conditions (warm, layered pajamas, untouched, silence), we’re not compatible with sharing a sleeping space. So in a couple of months, we’re getting a two-bedroom place together so we both get to sleep and not want to murder each other.”

—sugar0coated

15.“She leaves small amounts of food in their containers instead of finishing them off. Cereal, chips, milk. It’s infuriating. Putting up with it for 18 years. It’s not worth fighting over. I know that if I really want something to eat, I expect it not to have a servings worth before I open it. And, once she gets it that low, she won’t finish it off. I either finish it or throw it away.”

—Big-Bruizzer

16.“He will occasionally (usually when I’m not around to be appalled) eat dry tortellini straight out of the bag when he’s reading in bed. Dry. Tortellini.”

—WorldWideWig

17.“She doesn’t fully close cabinets or lids. She’ll leave out a jar of anything (jelly, peanut butter, etc) and give the lid a quarter turn, then call it a day.”

—deleted

18.“He has a snot shirt. When he gets any kind of respiratory sickness, he takes a shirt out and puts it on his nightstand and blows his nose in it during the night. He says it’s cheaper and softer than tissues.”

—DeiselXBurna

19.“He set tons of alarms, none of which actually wake him up.”

—brooklynskyeee

20.“Every single cup of coffee is left a quarter full around the apartment.”

—aDi_19850722

21.“We have a shoe rack. He has never used it. He prefers instead to discard his shoes in a semicircle around the front door like a booby trap for me, his incredibly clumsy fiancée. I love him even though my life is constantly at risk.”

—RealLochNessie

What surprising or bizarre habit or tendency did you learn about a partner only after moving in together? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.