When Audrey the cockatoo lost her beloved owner, she fell into such deep depression that she plucked out all her feathers, but her new dad brought healing and hope back into her life in a surprising way.
We all know what grief feels like. Each one of us handles it differently. Some stop talking to others, some stop eating, and some just want to sit alone. Animals feel this pain too. God made them with hearts that can break just like ours.
Audrey’s story breaks your heart at first. After her owner died, she became deeply depressed. She started ripping out her feathers. This is what grieving cockatoos do when they lose someone they love.
Two families tried to give her a home, but it didn’t work out. Then Kristin Sitova and her husband Misha took her in.
The couple wanted to help Audrey heal. One day, they were trying to bond with her while she sat on the counter.
The song ‘Old Town Road’ came on the radio in another room. Audrey began to wiggle a little. Misha started dancing back at her.
“She all of a sudden just started dancing and we were like, ‘What’s happening right now?’ I couldn’t believe it. I never seen anything like that before,” Sitova said.
That moment changed everything. Dancing became their daily routine. Sitova explained that Audrey “bonded with me right away, but she was very nervous and insecure.
It all started with just building up her confidence, dancing in different spots and being like happy.”
The dancing worked. Audrey stopped plucking her feathers. She stopped biting. Her depression lifted. Now she dances to all kinds of music with Misha.
Sometimes she likes metal and rock and roll. She bangs her head and swings her wings hard. Other days she wants to dance salsa. Her mood changes every day.
“They truly adapt to each other in the moment based on how they’re feeling with the music, just like humans do,” Sitova shared. She watches them dance together and sometimes laughs so hard she has to steady the camera.
Audrey’s story shows us that healing takes time and patience. Sometimes it comes in ways we never expect. God can use the smallest moments to bring us back to life.
WATCH: Cockatoo Falls Into Deep Depression After Owner Dies Until A Song Changes Everything
