The "Money Cat" is an Oriental symbol for prosperity . The lucky money
cat is believed to be a powerful feng shui cure for wealth. These
beckoning statuettes are common in Chinese homes, but are Japanese in
origin. The legend behind them is that a temple cat, Tama, helped his
owner, a poverty-stricken priest, and saved a wealthy man from death
by beckoning him away from a tree into the temple just before it was
struck by lightning. Money cats are associated with an increase in
good fortune, especially in prosperity. These cats take on a special
added influence with the color purple. Purple is one of the strong
colors of wealth and will place emphases on the wealth aspect even
more. All sites I came across state that the money cat is meant to be
placed in your "wealth area", on your desk, or facing the front door
to activate the abundance in your space.  The front door , bedroom and
Kitchen are the three most important areas in your home. The Front
door is the most important area in your home because this is how you
welcome “chi” (the life force) into your home.  If this isn’t done
correctly you may find many opportunities could pass you by.  The
Kitchen is the money area of your home.  If money is difficult for you
to attain then the kitchen is the room to focus on.