Cat Mail Co. Package Handling

Cat Mail Co. package handling

The core Cat Mail Co. loop is weigh → label → stamp → sort → store or ship. Every parcel can be handled your own way, but destination labels and fragile/heavy physics still matter.

Package handling is the skill that separates a tidy Cat Island post office from a ceiling-high backlog. Master the scale and scanner first; decoration comes later.

This Cat Mail Co. package handling guide walks the full pipeline from dock unload to boat load, including the F-key stamp mode and conveyor scanner that new players often skip.

Weighing and postage bands

Place any parcel on the Cat Mail Co. weighing station. The dial shows weight against color bands — each band tells you how many postage stamps the parcel requires before it can ship.

Light parcels sit in the lower bands; bulky freight climbs into higher bands that demand more stamps. If you under-stamp, the parcel is not valid for outgoing boat loading even if the label is correct.

Weigh before you label when possible so you are not carrying overstamped mail back to the scale. The color bands are the fastest postage reference in Cat Mail Co. — no spreadsheet required.

F key stamp mode

Press F to enter stamp mode in Cat Mail Co.. The camera tightens on the parcel face so you can place postage stamps until the scale requirement is met.

Postage stamps are functional — they satisfy the weight band. Decorative stamps are optional flair and do not replace postage. Many players stamp for aesthetics after postage is complete.

Stamp mode does not bypass fragile, heavy, or destination checks. A beautifully stamped box still crushes mail below it if marked heavy and stacked wrong.

Co-op groups often assign one player to stamp mode while others label and shelve — see the co-op guide for role splits.

Fragile, heavy, and destination labels

Fragile parcels in Cat Mail Co. cannot have other packages stacked on top. Treat them as top-of-pile only, on shelves and in the boat hold.

Heavy parcels cannot support weight from above — anything placed on top gets crushed and may arrive damaged.

Destination labels decide which boat route a parcel takes. Cat Island and Port Windy are the early map destinations; later unlocks add more captain routes. Wrong routes send mail back as damaged returns.

When in doubt, run the parcel through the scanner conveyor before you commit a fragile or heavy sticker.

X-ray scanner conveyor

The Cat Mail Co. scanner conveyor feeds parcels through an X-ray check so you can see whether fragile or heavy labels are required before shelving.

Use the scanner on mystery boxes from the daily boat, mixed stacks you did not label yourself, and any parcel that feels wrong on the scale but lacks obvious markings.

Scanner output is not optional flavor — it prevents crush damage and return loops that eat whole afternoons in Cat Mail Co..

Pair scanner habits with the packages hub for a quick type reference.

• Do01Place parcel on scanner conveyor input in Cat Mail Co.
• Do02Read fragile or heavy indicator on the X-ray view.
• Do03Apply matching label before shelving or boat load.
• Do04Keep fragile parcels top-most in every stack.
• Do05Never stack other boxes on heavy-class parcels.

Shelving and boat placement

Cat Mail Co. uses real stacking physics in storage and on the boat. Fragile on bottom is the most common self-inflicted damage source.

Group shelves by destination — Cat Island pickups near the customer bell, Port Windy outgoing near the dock path. Your layout is freeform; the game provides no preset signs.

When loading the captain's boat, build layers: heavy and standard freight on the bottom, fragile parcels on top. The dock bell only matters after the manifest is physically loaded.

Returned and damaged parcels

Mis-sorted Cat Mail Co. deliveries come back damaged. Check destination labels, stamp count against scale bands, and stacking order before loading the boat.

Returned parcels appear as a distinct type in the packages hub. Re-weigh, re-label, and re-stamp before you send them out again.

Prevention beats repair: the scanner, scale color bands, and captain manifest check eliminate most returns in a typical Cat Mail Co. week.

When a return arrives, shelve it in a dedicated repair lane — not mixed with fresh outgoing Port Windy stock. Returns inherit their old mistakes until you fix labels and stacking.

Typical package handling day

A smooth Cat Mail Co. morning starts at the dock: unload, sprint with WASD to the scale, weigh against color bands, press F for postage stamps, then label for Cat Island or Port Windy.

Midday shifts to customer bell pickups — clues like recipient names (Quicknap) mean you are searching shelves for stickers, not re-weighing. Keep processed mail in destination zones so clerks find parcels fast.

Afternoon is captain manifest time: gather stamped parcels, run last-second scanner checks on anything heavy, stack fragile on top in the hold, ring the dock bell, then shelve mystery boxes for night moonlight review.

This package handling rhythm pairs with boat routes and night mechanics once your office runs past day one.

Package handling mistakes

The costliest Cat Mail Co. mistake is treating stamp decoration as postage — colorful flair does not satisfy scale color bands.

Second is skipping scanner conveyor reads on dense boxes that look standard. Heavy crush damage is silent until the parcel returns.

Third is labeling before weighing. You walk back across Cat Island twice when stamp count was wrong from the start.

Fix all three habits before you invite co-op friends — shared offices multiply both speed and chaos.