Bird Dancing

Buddy, napping in the warm sunshine by the open back door, is awakened by a piercing racket. He leaps to his feet and races into the living room. He stops dead in the doorway, unable to believe his eyes.

Lined up facing the computer desk – Percy in front, the other cats in the next row and Samaritan and Merci to the rear –the Funny Farm resident are strutting back and forth while alternately stomping their back feet in unison – or somewhat in unison – while leading an imaginary band with their waving front paws, bobbing their heads in time to the music, and vocalizing in high-pitched screeches.

Buddy swivels his head to view the computer’s monitor screen on the desk. There, strutting, stomping and bobbing to the beat of the Back Street Boys is a bird on the back of a large chair.

“Watch where you’re stepping,” Cameron cries as Samaritan steps on his tail.

“Have you all lost your minds?” Buddy thunders above the music.

Percy turns his head without missing a beat. “Oh, hi, Buddy,” he hollers over the noise. “Come join our aerobics class.”

Merci seconds the invitation. “Yes, it will calm you down and help you sleep.” 

“But I was sleeping,” Buddy roars. 

Breathing hard, Crystal, the oldest of the group, calls over, “Then it will give you energy.”

“I don’t want energy,” Buddy bellows. “I want to sleep.”

“We’re having treats when we finish,” Cotton hollers.

Buddy’s ears perk up. “Treats? Okay. I’m in.” 

He moves into line beside Merci. “Hey, this is fun,” he shouts, while he struts, stomps, waves and screeches with the rest of the bird dancing aerobics class.

(Snowball the dancing cockatoo video, otherwise known as the bird dancing aerobics instructor. May I have this dance?)

Update: Snowball now dances to Huey Lewis also. Click here to check him out.