Chinese New Year falls on 29th January 2025 and it will be the Year of the Snake. Given the popularity of the cat in Eastern Culture, we wondered why there was no cat in the Chinese Zodiac.

Although the Maneki Neko, or beckoning cat, originated in Japan, it's influence and popularity has spread to China and worldwide. An ornamental cat, often with a moving arm, and positioned towards the entrance of a property is believed to beckon in good fortune and prosperity.

At The Lucky Cat Shop we love Maneki Neko - they are fun to watch and these days come in many different shapes, sizes, colours and materials. Below are a few that can be bought in our shop:

Yellow Calcite Maneki Neko Gemstone Cat – The Lucky Cat Shop

Maneki Neko Mini by Donkey TURQUOISE – The Lucky Cat Shop

Solar Maneki Neko Cat, Gold – The Lucky Cat Shop

Maneki Neko Traditional Battery Cats – The Lucky Cat Shop

So, with the cat being such a popular creature in Eastern culture, how did it not get included in the Chinese Zodiac? The answer is annoyingly simple. The Zodiac was devised approximately 4,000 years ago during the Xia Dynasty. The domestic cat was not known in China at this time and was only introduced, via the Silk Routes, during the East Han dynasty between 25 - 220AD.

This 2,000 year mis-match hasn't stopped folk tales growing up to explain the absence of the cat in the Chinese zodiac. The one we like bests tells of the Jade Emperor (a Zeus-like God) calling all the animals together and telling them that a race would take place to determine the 12 animals to represent the zodiac signs. The cat and the rate were good friends, and the rat agreed to wake the cat next morning to go to the race together. The next day, the rat failed to honour his promise and left the cat sleeping. As a result, the cat missed the race, allowing the rat to win and become the first sign of the Chinese zodiac. The cat was very cross and vowed that he would hunt down the rat for eternity, a promise which our feline friends have kept to this day!

The Lucky Cat Shop is based within The Cat Gallery, a totally feline-themed shop in York, England. It specialises in lucky cats from both Eastern and Western culture. Maneki Neko are very popular and make great gifts. Our most popular product is our Original Lucky Cat - designed in York, handmade in England and modelled on our cat, Alfie.

Alfie, the model for our Original Lucky Cat