I noticed something odd about the way Rhubarb sits the other day. Or, more precisely, something I’ve noticed many times without thinking about it finally registered on me.

Do you see it? No? Here, try a different angle.

Now do you see it?

Look at his tail. See how he’s got it carefully curled around the step? He often wraps his tail around something. It’s as though he feels the need for extra security.

It’s particularly odd because Kaja, his littermate, is an old-school daredevil. Her favorite trick was to slide between the steps and curl her body around until she was half upside-down.

We’re actually a little surprised–and very relieved–that she never slid all the way through and tried walking up and down the underside of the stairs, Escher-style. Knowing her determination, she might very well have succeeded, but I wouldn’t want to watch.

Come to think of it, maybe that explains Rhubarb’s habit. Maybe Kaja did take a stroll under the stairs, and the sight so unnerved Rhubarb that even now, years later, he feels the need for a little extra reassurance that gravity still likes him.