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Moving Day: A Checklist for Relocating Your Box

A cat pushing a cardboard box across a polished wooden floor

Moving a box from one room to another is a major event. Even a short journey requires planning, preparation, and a strong will. This checklist will help you prepare.

Two Weeks Before

Inform all household members of your intention to move. This may be done by sitting beside the box and staring at the destination. Review the route and identify any obstacles, such as chairs, laundry baskets, or small children with plans.

One Week Before

  • Choose your destination room and inspect it
  • Check for a draught, a radiator, and a suitable view
  • Pack your cushion, your favourite toy, and a sock
  • Measure the doorway, then ignore the measurement

The Day Before

Do a final review. Check that the box is intact, the flaps are secure, and the cushion is in place. Take a short walk around the old room and say goodbye to the sunbeam, the shelf, and the dust bunny you never quite caught.

Moving Day

Push the box, using your head and shoulders. If it will not move, try again with enthusiasm. If it will still not move, climb inside and rock it gently. A rocking box moves faster than a stationary one, and also more nervously.

After the Move

Settle in at once. Turn around three times and sit down. Examine your surroundings and decide whether you like them. If you do not, move the box again. There is no limit to the number of times a box may be moved before dinner.

Housewarming

It is traditional to hold a small celebration in the new location. This usually consists of a nap, a snack, and a nod to the neighbours. A knock on the wall is considered a welcome.

We wish you the best of luck on your journey, however short.

Final Reminder

Movers are reminded that a box in motion should be accompanied by a sense of dignity. Do not run. Do not skid. If your box tips over, stand up, adjust your whiskers, and walk away as though you had planned it all along. This is a fundamental skill of the experienced mover and a source of great pride.

Good luck, and mind the hallway rug.

This checklist is fictional and intended for fun.

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Memo: Bubble Wrap, and the Question of Whether It Is Still Allowed

A cat stepping gingerly on a sheet of bubble wrap with suspicion

TO: All residents and staff. FROM: The Royal Office of Acoustics. RE: Bubble wrap.

It has come to our attention that bubble wrap has been appearing in the lobby, in the corridors, and on at least one throne. This memo clarifies the rules.

Background

Bubble wrap arrives with certain deliveries as a protective layer. Once removed, it becomes a sheet of tiny, popping delights that attract cats from across the property. The sound of a pop, small and sharp, causes the ears to turn. The second pop causes the head to turn. The third pop causes the whole body to leap.

Concerns Raised

  • Noise levels reached 62 decibels on Monday
  • A cat sat in the middle of a sheet for four hours, popping nothing
  • A kitten attempted to pop the whole sheet at once
  • An elderly resident complained that the popping reminded him of rain

New Rules

Bubble wrap shall be allowed on weekdays between 10 AM and noon. Popping outside those hours shall be considered a disturbance. Any cat caught popping at night shall be issued a warning in the form of a gentle sigh.

Alternatives

Cats who find themselves unable to resist the pop may use the Pop Room, a designated space in the basement filled with old bubble wrap, soft flooring, and a very understanding cushion. Entry is free.

Special Note

The satisfaction of a pop is a universal pleasure. It does not discriminate between age, breed, or social standing. The Royal Office, though committed to peace and quiet, recognises this and urges all residents to be kind.

Thank you for your understanding and your silence between the hours specified.

Further Reading

Residents who wish to learn more about the history of bubble wrap and its role in modern society may consult the Royal Library, a shelf in the study. The books are mostly used for sitting, but one volume on packaging is genuinely informative and has been chewed.

Please direct questions about this memo to the front desk, which is unmanned.

This memo is a fictional parody.

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Decree of the Royal Family: New Rules for Delivery Day

A small cat sitting on a pile of newly delivered parcels on a doorstep

HEAR YE, HEAR YE. By the authority granted to us by the sacred order of corrugation, we, Duke Corrugato and Lady Flute of Cardboard Royale, hereby decree the following regulations concerning Delivery Day.

Article One: The Arrival

When the doorbell rings, all subjects shall run to the door at speed and assemble in a semicircle. No subject shall open the door. This is the task of the human, who has been trained for it and will be thanked later with a stare.

Article Two: The Inspection

Every parcel shall be sniffed on all sides. Parcels bearing the smell of another animal shall be treated with suspicion. Parcels bearing no smell at all shall be treated with suspicion and respect.

Article Three: The Claim

  • The first cat to sit on a box owns it
  • A box with its contents removed is open to claim by anyone
  • A box with its contents still inside is the property of the human, until they leave the room
  • Tape shall be removed by claw, for entertainment

Article Four: The Disposal

No box shall be recycled before it has been used for at least seven days. A box sent for recycling prematurely shall be considered an act of aggression, and the offending human shall be subject to a prolonged meow at 4 AM.

Article Five: Gratitude

All cats shall express gratitude to the delivery driver by watching from the window. The driver may or may not know of this honour. It is nonetheless sincere.

Conclusion

These decrees take effect immediately and will be enforced with great seriousness by the royal guards, who are asleep. Violators will be stared at.

Signed with a paw print, by the Duke and the Lady, and countersigned by the cat on the radiator.

Appendix: Penalties

Subjects who break the Decree shall be subject to the following penalties, to be determined by the court and enforced by the nearest cushion. A first offence shall earn a cold look. A second offence shall earn a long silence at dinner. A third offence shall result in being placed on the bad list, which is a piece of paper on the fridge.

This decree is a work of satire.