The Chinese Lucky Cat, or Maneki Neko Cat as it’s called in Japanese, is a feng shui item that needs to be situated in the right place in the home to maximize its lucky powers and bring you good fortune and wealth.
Ok, for all you skeptics out there, there are no guarantees that it will bring you good luck and wealth.
But, the least you can do is strategically place it in accordance with good feng shui practices – else you’ll never know, will you?
What Is a Maneki Neko and Why Is It Called a Lucky Cat?
To give you a little background and history on the Maneki Neko, it’s a common sight in the Eastern world, Japan and China in particular, and is believed to bring good luck to the owner.
The cat is actually a calico Japanese Bobtail and traditionally has its right paw raised. Which is believed to bring good fortune.
If you see a Maneki Neko with its left paw raised, then this is supposed to bring custom. While both paws raised is believed to bring protection over your home or business.
This helps explain why you see lucky cats in the windows and near the entrances of businesses waiving their right paws. It also explains why they are commonly called Lucky Cats, and Beckoning Cats.
Chinese Lucky Cat: Where to Place in Home?
Lucky cats are traditionally placed near the entrance to businesses. You will no doubt have seen them waving their arms in the windows of shops, or the reception area in an office business.
In the home, however, you should place your cat in the area associated with wealth. According to feng shui practice, this is traditionally the south-eastern corner of the home.
If there is another area in your own home that is much more relevant to the wealth of your home, then go ahead and put it in that area.
If you have a home office then put him in the southeast corner of your office. Somewhere it’s easily visible by other people when they are entering the office is preferable.
A friend bought me one back from the Philippines a few years ago and I have it in my home office by the window. Which also happens to be the southeast of the room, no conincidence.
I know what you’re going to ask…. Has it bought we wealth and custom?
Well, things are going pretty well, so I can’t complain.
I actually just really love the idea and history behind Maneki Neko and think it makes an awesome feature in my office. Not to mention it was a gift from someone so I had to put it somewhere appropriate.
But I’ll buy in on the tradition and give my waiving cat some of the credit for how things are going. It’s only fair. 🙂
Lucky Cat Color Meaning Chart
Gold is by far the most popular color lucky cat, but you may have seen different color Maneki Neko and wondered what this means, if anything.
There is actually a different meaning for each cat depending on their color.
Below
There is some slight variation from region to region in Japan, but typically speaking these are the Japanese lucky cat color meanings:
Gold – Invites Wealth and Prosperity
White – Brings Happiness
Green – Brings Academic Success
Red – Protects Against Evil
Black – Protects Home from Illness
Pink – Attracts Love and Romance
Where to Buy Chinese/Japanese Lucky Cats?
If you’re not able to pick one up from a traditional Chinese or Japanese store or street market, then look no further than Amazon of course!
I took a look and there is an awesome selection of Lucky Cats on Amazon. Here are a pick of the best:
Traditional Ceramic Maneki Neko Lucky Cat
Here is the traditional, or ‘classic’ Maneki Neko that you must have seen more times than you can remember. It’s pretty close to the one I have.
It’s battery operated so he can wave at you, or you can just leave the batteries out if you prefer. But I like the waiving motion, it’s kind of relaxing.
There are also several sizes to choose from, along with some different facial expressions and so on. So worth hopping over and taking
Click here to check price on Amazon
Tokoname Porcelain White Right Hand Maneki Neko
The white Lucky Cats are pretty popular too. They look like the Japanese Bobtail that the cat is modeled on with their white body and red ears.
As you will have learned from above, a white Maneki Neko with its right hand raised means this guy is going to bring you happiness and good fortune – pretty cool combination!
Click here to check price on Amazon
Kotobuki Maneki Neko Collectible Figurine
I’ve included this model because although it doesn’t look like the upright traditional lucky cats, they are really popular because they are trendy and cute versions.
All the colors I covered above are available (stock allowing) and I know a lot of people are collecting them as cool ornaments for their home.
They make for really cool gifts, or you can keep it for yourself and use them for their traditional good luck properties. Either way, he’s a cute little guy isn’t he?
Click here to check price on Amazon
Hopefully, this article – Chinese Lucky Cat: Where to Place in Home – has helped answer all the questions you had about the Maneki Neko. As well as filling in a bit of its colorful history for you.
If you’ve been gifted
