Here's a nice explanation of the Japanese Beckoning Cat -- I can't remember now how I ran across it, but I saved it to read because I have several of the little cats. I originally started buying them because we had a white cat, and it made me think of her, but I like the symbolism, too, and any time I find a particularly cute one, I buy it. This article also says that Sanrio's Hello Kitty is another manifestation of the Beckoning Cat, and while I never heard that before, it makes perfect sense, and I'm sure that's right.