Kitten-mother guilt and the perils of packing

Packing for a short holiday is difficult at the best of times. There is so much to manage and one rather small space/weight allowance to manage it in. You want to take enough in order to have choice and to avoid washing, but not so much that the suitcase busts open when you lug it off the airport conveyor belt at 3am. There are a variety of occasions to factor in - you want to be outfitted for everything from dinner with the grandparents to dancing and drinking though til 3am in an underground club. This is before weather considerations too. Try packing for New Zealand when the weather forecast advises everything bar snow.

Now add a mildly clingy not quite kitten (catten?) into the mix. Pulling down the suitcase from the top of the wardrobe yields a little skittishness. Opening the draws and removing items in bulk is met with more resistance.

Fairly sure that the logic here was 'if I get into the draw, then nothing can come out of the draw'. And what kind of callous person wants to disturb a sleepy feline? This kind - the kind that is due to make a flight in a limited number of hours.

Out of the drawer, my furry one.

Next tactic was for catten to get into the suitcase. Each item I packed was dragged out by her Royal Furriness, by the teeth, and taken under the bed to be clawed. Cue guilt. Obviously, being larger, I won the game in the end, but not before catten had clearly signalled that she knew that I was abandoning her for a week and thoroughly disapproved, and henceforth was withdrawing all affection.


Suggestions for packing include...

Try to remove pets before packing, otherwise you find yourself reminded of them all holiday (specifically - every morning, when you endeavour to find an article of clothing that isn't furry). Leaving your pet with clucky in-law types should be a satisfactory outcome for all parties///Don't listen to your partner when they suggest that you share a suitcase - they will only fill it with dirty laundry. Literally. It is my sad duty to confirm that, yes, all the pretty things that you packed will smell like feet///Roll things instead of folding them, you'll fit more in///If in doubt, pack it. You might not wear it, but you won't spend all holiday thinking 'if only I had brought (insert item here)'///Leave space for bringing home the lovely new acquisitions.