Maneki-neko (招き猫) or "lucky cat" figurines are believed to bring good luck to a home or business. Each is painted a specific color and inscribed with Kanji characters representing the type of good luck that will surely accrue to the owner.
In early 2015, we bought a series of lucky cats in NYC souvenir shops and made plaster replicas. The fake cats (嘘 猫) were painted nontraditional colors and inscribed with characters representing alternative types of luck or questionable fortune. The fakes were returned to the place of purchase in exchange for a refund or store credit.
White: purity, happiness
Black: safety, wards off evil and stalkers
Gold: wealth and prosperity
Red: protection from evil & illness
Pink: love, relationships and romance
Green: education/studies
Yellow: health, stability, good marriage
Cadmium Orange: 急流 torrent, swift current (Kyuryu)
Cobalt Teal: 妖怪 ghost, phantom (Yokai)
Magenta: 満月 full moon (Mangetsu)
Orange Metallic: 失念 forgetting, oblivion (Shitsunen)
Blue Metallic: 雪女 snow woman (Yuki-onna)