Why every home should have a lucky cat
The Maneki-neko, also known as the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, and beckoning cat, dates back to the 17th century and has since become one of the most popular features in Asian businesses and homes. With an inviting raised paw and pointy red ears, these iconic lucky charms have been bringing good fortune for centuries.
Origin of the Lucky Cat
This kitsch-cool ornament is ubiquitous in China Towns and Asian stores around the globe. Contrary to belief, these cute little statues aren’t Chinese at all. The Lucky Cat is Japanese and depicts the calico Japanese Bobtail Cat. Literally meaning “beckoning cat”, an interesting fact about the Lucky Cat figurine is not actually waving. In Japan, unlike in Western cultures, the way to beckon someone over to you is palm forward, fingers pointing down.
Therefore you’ll often find them at the entrance of Chinese stores or Asian restaurants with the idea of inviting people into the venue. However, if you see a Maneki Neko with its right arm up, this is said to be inviting money into the location.
Tradition of Maneki Neko
The Lucky Cat’s birth dates back to a particular story from 1633 when Japanese feudal lord li Naotaka got caught in a rainstorm and therefore tried to seek shelter under a nearby tree. Naotaka noticed a cat nearby that appeared to be beckoning him into a nearby neglected shrine, as he followed the cat’s beckon the tree set alight and exploded behind him. Naotaka was so grateful to the cat for saving him that he restored the temple to its former glory and renamed it Gotokuji Temple after Naotaka’s family’s Buddhist name. From this, the tradition of Maneki Neko was born and the temple is still to this day a symbol of the lucky cat.
Reasons to get a Lucky Cat for your home
- Maneki Neko brings good luck to households
- Happiness is where a Lucky Cat is found
- With happiness comes success with a Lucky Cat at home
- Success brings wealth and prosperity where ever you see a Lucky Cat
Lucky Cat Colours
A common misconception about lucky cats is that they all hold a generic meaning of luck and good fortune. However, the diverse range of lucky cat colours that you can choose from all hold a very specific symbolism, making them much more personal when bought as a gift for a cat-loving friend. White: White lucky cats are said to bring happiness to their owners, they provide purity and indicate that there are positive things to come.
Black: Black lucky cats are said to ward off evil spirits and protect their owners from any immediate danger or risk. They protect the household and provide safety.
Green: Green lucky cats invite good health for the owner and bring about academic success, it is recognised that you need good health to enjoy success in wealth or academia.
Red: The red lucky cat provides protection for the owner from evil spirits and protects the entire household from illness.
Pink: A pink lucky cat attracts love and romance and secures a loving and harmonious relationship.
Gold: A gold lucky cat brings good wealth and fortune to the owner.
Fortune Cat figurines often hold other things in their paws, such as a Japanese coin from the Edo period, a fish or marbles. All of which are said to attract wealth, abundance and good fortune.
Regardless of the raised paw, colour or item in its paw, you basically can’t go wrong with a Maneki Neko perched by your side, be it at home or at work.
Using the Lucky Cat in Feng Shui
Even though feng shui comes from China, one can skillfully use symbols from any culture and apply feng shui principles to them. Be sure to be mindful and respectful of any culture whose symbols you are using, though, and take the time to learn about and understand them. It’s a good idea to mindfully use symbols that really resonate with you and work with them thoughtfully and intentionally.
For instance, if your intention for the lucky cat is to invite more wealth and prosperity, you can also place it in the wealth corner, called Xun in feng shui. To find Xun position in your home, stand in the front entrance looking in and imagine a three-by-three grid laid over your space. The far left area of the grid is Xun. If you’re having a hard time locating Xun in your home, you can also find the far left corner of your bedroom or home office and place your lucky cat there.
The Modern Day Lucky Cat
Mani the Lucky Cat is a trademark of figures in the modern version of kittens from traditional Maneki Neko. People say that the owner of this cat receives good luck, good fortune and prosperity. Let Mani the Lucky Cat bring fortune to you and your friends and get one of only three from the Cats of Cape Town Home Decor Kiosk. We promise it will bring you plenty of good luck, fortune and happiness throughout your life, just like KAT KULT Guru: Gregory Montgomery, a Japanese-Bobtail X.