On more than one occasion you will have entered a house or a business and one of the things that caught your attention the most was seeing the small figure of a cat moving its paw forward. You found it curious, and even cute, but it’s really about the “Chinese lucky cat”, one of the most representative objects to attract prosperity, from Asian culture.
In Japan it is known as ‘Maneki-neko’, while in China it is called ‘Zhaocai Mao’. This figure is a good luck charm and comes in different presentationsjust like the Feng Shui elephant.
Although you caught him moving one leg and in gold, he also comes in white (a cuter version), moving the other leg or even both. This depends on the positive energy you want to attract.
The story of the lucky cat
Although the origin of this cat is divided between cultures, one of the most insistent comes from the 17th century, in Japan. Back then, a cat named “Tama” saved the life of a man who was under a tree trying to protect himself from a strong electrical storm.
It is believed that the white cat, with black and brown spots, moved her paw in the same way as the current lucky figure does, drawing the man’s attention to come closer to her.
Curious about what he saw, the man approached the cat and just seconds later lightning struck the tree. Since then, it is said that “Tama” saved his life and now became the lucky cat.
How the Chinese lucky cat works and where you should place it
Although its truest origin is Japanese, from Western culture there is little knowledge to differentiate what is from China and Japan, which is why they gave it the name «Chinese lucky cat.» Some people even call it “the Feng Shui cat,” which is a Chinese philosophical system.
Generally, This figure should be placed at the entrance of your house or a business, so that it can be seen from the outside and with its movement with its paw it attracts people. Just like what happened with “Tama” and the man who was under the tree.
However, before purchasing it, you need to check whether it will move its left leg, right leg, or both.
According to experts, When he raises and lowers his left paw, the lucky cat attracts visitors. This means that it is the perfect figure to attract prosperity and good luck in your business.
When you move your right paw, the amulet will attract wealth and good fortunebeing perfect for both your business and home.
But if he moves both legs, it means he is doing protection work against bad energies.. In this case, it is more convenient to have it in your home.
If you want to have all the lucky cats, there is no contradiction, as long as you do not put them in front of each other, because the energies will collide with each other, dissipating. The correct thing is to put them next to each other or in distant positions, but all pointing towards the entrance.