[kirant]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

What does the waving cat mean? I asked the guy at the restaurant down the street (they've got tons of them) but he only speaks Chinese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki-neko

The Maneki-neko (招き猫?, literally "Beckoning Cat"; also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money Cat, or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman), usually made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning.
Maneki-neko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to ceramic figurines, maneki-neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, and miscellaneous ornaments.
Due to its popular presence within Chinese communities it is frequently mistaken for being Chinese in origin rather than Japanese and is mistakenly referred to as a Chinese Lucky Cat or jīnmāo (Golden Cat).