Lucky Cat

Chapter 7 of Cataclysm is entitled ‘Lucky cat’. There is a reason, and it has nothing to do with the good fortune of Catherine, our avenging Cat in this third adventure in the series..

Fortune cats or lucky cats seem to be commonplace these days and are strongly associated with the Chinese. They even cropped up in an episode of ‘The Apprentice’ on BBC TV last year. These cats were not originally Chinese, however, but Japanese. They call them Maneki Neko, which means ‘beckoning cat’.

Solar-powered lucky cat - Wikipedia commons

The cat has its paw raised as if it’s waving in good fortune for its owners.

You may see them in Chinese restaurants. They are conspicuous in Chinese emporiums here in Spain.

The superstition goes that if the cat is holding up the left paw, this is supposed to attract customers. An ideal for shop or restaurant, I suppose.

If the right paw is lifted, this invites good fortune and money. Then enter the lottery, perhaps?

A wave that doesn’t say ‘goodbye’ but ‘hello, happiness’…

Sometimes you can find a fortune cat with both of its paws in the air; this can also represent protection.

A white cat promises happiness, purity, and positive things to come, while a gold one signifies wealth and prosperity. Black wards off evil spirits, red suggests success in love and relationships and a green cat promises good health for the owner.

You can find out a little more about lucky cats – and Cat’s luck – in Cataclysm.

Cataclysm – most appropriately published tomorrow by Crooked Cat Publishing.

 You can pre-order/order on Amazon from here: http://authl.it/B01953NVY4