Hundreds of cats have been stolen from a Gordon Ramsey restaurant.  Not actual cats, you understand, but maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurines from Japan.  The image is of a megaclowder of maneki-neko at Gotokuji Temple awaiting news of their siblings stolen from Lucky Cat 2.

Renowned chef Gordon Ramsey opened his new venture, Lucky Cat 22 at Bishopsgate on 3 February and barely two weeks later almost all his maneki-neko cats have been stolen! So far 477 have disappeared, obviously piecemeal as you would need a fork lift take the lot. 

Maneki-neko are the lucky white cats (although sometimes  gold and occasionally black) with red trimmings, symbols of good fortune in Japan and other Asian countries. To western eyes they appear to be waving, but from the Japanese POV they are beckoning. The right paw beckons money and fortune, the left paw beckons customers and clientele.  You can see why Gordon would want them onside.

What can this bold heist be about? Each cat is only worth around £4 50, but it all adds up. It is not really the money - it is the withdrawal of luck.

Police are baffled.  As are Clowder Press and Belvedere.

Belvedere. who prides  himself on his cynicism, is convinced it is a publicity stunt.   

22 February, is National Cat Day in Japan and many other Asian countries, where cats are revered, as they should be.  Surely it can be no coincidence that Mr Ramsay’s restaurant (which serves Japanese cuisine) is at 22 Bishopsgate? Were the cats ‘stolen’ to focus attention on the establishment?

Surely Mr Ramsay does not need such gimmicks?   

Maybe the cats are being taken by destitute persons who would like to attract wealth and fortune but can’t afford to buy a beckoning cat.? Sound reasoning, but very unlikely they’d get into the restaurant. The clientele who can afford to dine chez Ramsey could easily buy their own cats

It can’t be the staff, the security in the building is Matrix level. 

Obviously it must be ninjas.  The restaurant is on the 60th floor, two floors down from the summit of this 258m-high glass-walled building. Only a ninja with edificeering skills could scale the sheer glass, get into the restaurant, steal the cats, and abseil unseen out into  the night.  I still don’t know why, or who the ninja could be working for, but I am working on it.

Roger is convinced that he can see the paw of the Felinati in this. The Felinati is the secret and shadowy feline cadre of the Illuminati. In fact, they are so secret and shadowy that only Roger knows about them.  So maybe not.

Let is hope the cats are soon restored to Number 22.

Neko no hi omedeto!