She fed a squirrel every single day — then an unexpected gift was kept outside her door the next day

At a time when relationships and love among human beings is increasingly becoming transactional, animals still show genuine and unconditional love without seeking anything in return. Their presence can provide peace amidst the bustle of everyday life, and pets act as emotional support for a large number of people across the globe. This beautiful connection was perfectly captured in a TikTok video that went viral after @ethznn posted it. The same video was also shared by @humankind and showed a squirrel expressing gratitude to the woman who fed her regularly.

The onscreen text of the video explained the entire story. It read, “This woman always feeds this squirrel and the squirrel returns the favor by leaving a cookie out for her.” CCTV footage of this act of compassion was recorded outside the woman's home. She searches for her keys as she reaches home and puts down her heavy shopping bags. As she is about to open the door, she spots a tiny bright red circle thing near her door. She picks it up and she discovers it's a cookie. Then, as the video cuts back, it reveals the tiny culprit who brought about this lovely surprise.

In the video, a squirrel holding a cookie in its tiny mouth can be seen climbing the wall. After placing its tiny surprise near the front door, it jumped back and disappeared. The woman was very happy to watch this beautiful gesture of generosity and wasn't the only person moved by it. The video went viral on social media and received thousands of likes and shares. The fact that even small gestures may have a significant impact was demonstrated by the outpouring of love and affection that filled the comment section of the post.

One TikTok user with the username @lovinglife20240 commented, “So cute! We have squirrels that leave nuts in the window wells. Not sure if they are for us or the cat. Lol.” Another person, @brendam590, wrote, “Ha ha ha ha they would come in my kitchen window and take the nutty budder cookie.” TikTok user @ankajakubiak chimed in and wrote, “I need to know that you ate that cookie and made it clear how thankful you are because I’m sure she was watching from afar!” Another person @funnitaf commented, “Me be like ‘I thought I have real secret admirer’ after watched the CCTV.”

This video serves as a perfect example of how animals provide people with more than just company. They are very important for mental health as they shower human companions with unconditional love and give them a sense of direction in life. They remind people about the beauty of life when things become overwhelming. Taking care of animals and their needs also becomes an important part of a person's journey, even if people don't always understand why they're doing it.