The year is 2014.  A virus has been released that is turning the majority of the population into rabid, flesh-eating monsters. NOT COOL. You’re being forced to flee your home and can only take three things with you . . . tough call, but what would you pack?

To celebrate the fact that Feed (UK/US/AUS) is now out in the UK, we asked the author Mira Grant for her top three zombie-apocalpyse essentials. Every gal’s gotta have ’em! They are the following:

1) My house earthquake kit. Yes, it’s cheating a little, but if I have an apocalypse, I’m going to grab my pre-packed backpack full of water purification tablets, protein bars, multi-vitamins, first aid supplies, and knives.  That’s what an earthquake kit is for.

2) A folding stock pump shotgun. Simple, effective, commonly used by law enforcement agencies, which will make ammunition easy to find once the initial looting of the Wal-Marts and gun shops has otherwise exhausted the supply.

3) My easily irritated, extremely clingy Siamese cat. Not even a zombie is going to function very well when hit with a face full of pissed-off clawing white thing with a score to settle.  And trust me, you make her go outside, she’s got a score to settle with you.

But let’s get the guys’ perspective here. Here’s what DongWon, Mira’s US editor, would pack:

1) A shotgun. Because tradition is important. It’s how we feel connected to our forbears.

2) A cricket bat. We don’t have cricket in the States, but Simon Pegg uses one in Shaun of the Dead and it looks more fun than a baseball bat.

3) A Mira Grant book. Because sometimes the zombie apocalypse can be dull. Like, while waiting for viral amplification to set in.

Not a bad selection at all. But what would you pick? For some research, you might want to check out the official FEED site to see just how life goes on after a zombie apocalypse.