A dear friend and future family member sent me a Maneki Neko. I've been wanting one for a long time and I absolutely adore it. The paper that came with it called it a Lucky Cat, and described the significance. Apparently a left paw raised and beckoning (japanese style) is for luck in business. The right paw raised is for prosperity, and so on. The paper that came with it instructed me to put the cat in a shrine or temple after one year.
Not my maneki neko, but similar.
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Not my maneki neko, but similar.
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I had a "romance" version of the good luck cats, the pink one. It -did not- work, so... score -1 for the Chinese cat spirits....