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The noun maneki-neko designates a Japanese figurine of a sitting cat beckoning with one raised paw, traditionally believed to bring good luck.

This noun occurs, for example, in the caption to the following photograph illustrating a review of the Tatsu-ya Japanese restaurants—review by Omar L. Gallaga, published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) of Sunday 24^th July 2022 [page E16, column 2]:

A giant Maneki-neko greets diners at Tatsu-ya’s Domo Alley-Gato.

The Japanese noun maneki-neko is from:
– maneki, nominalised stem of maneku, meaning: to invite by beckoning, especially with the hand;
– neko, i.e., a cat.

These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences of the noun maneki-neko that I have found:

1-: From Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan (Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1894), by Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), also called Koizumi Yakumo, Irish-Greek-Japanese author, translator and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the West [Vol. 2, chapter 22: Of a Dancing-Girl, page 530]:

Always in the dwelling which a band of geisha occupy there is a strange image placed in the alcove. Sometimes it is of clay, rarely of gold, most commonly of porcelain. It is reverenced: offerings are made to it, sweetmeats and rice bread and wine; incense smoulders in front of it, and a lamp is burned before it. It is the image of a kitten erect, one paw outstretched as if inviting,—whence its name, “the Beckoning Kitten.” ¹ It is the genius loci: it brings good-fortune, the patronage of the rich, the favor of banquet-givers. Now, they who know the soul of the geisha aver that the semblance of the image is the semblance of herself,—playful and pretty, soft and young, lithe and caressing, and cruel as a devouring fire.
¹ Maneki-Neko.

2-: From Shinto (The Way of the Gods) (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1905), by William George Aston (1841-1911), Irish diplomat and scholar of the languages and histories of Korea and Japan [chapter 3: Deification of Men, page 48]:

Merchants worship Yebisu. They also pay some sort of respect to Fukusuke, a dwarfish figure with a large head, attired in the ceremonial kami-shimo, and seated in a squatting position, which may often be seen in the larger shops. A figure of a cat with uplifted paw, called the maneki-neko, or “beckoning cat,” and a recumbent cow covered with rugs are also objects of respect with them.

3-: From Legend in Japanese Art: A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-Lore, Myths, Religious Symbolism (London: John Lane The Bodley Head, 1908), by Henry L. Joly [page 29, s.v. CATS]:

Maneki Neko is the Beckoning, bewitching kitten.

4-: From Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1910), edited by the Scottish biblical scholar James Hastings (1852-1922) [Vol. 3: Burial—Confessions; Charms and Amulets (Japanese), page 451, column 1]:

Children’s toys of various kinds are used amuletically. For example, the maneki neko (‘beckoning cat’), the image of a cat resting upon its haunches and having one forepaw raised as if in invitation, is an amulet commonly used to attract custom to a shop.

5-: From The Lotus Lantern (Boston (Massachusetts): Little, Brown & Company, 1911), a novel by the U.S. author Mary Imlay Taylor (1878-1938) and Martin Sabine [chapter 7, page 80]:

Hallard looked up, caught his eye and colored slightly. “See here, Dean,” he said abruptly, “what do you know about this geisha business?”
[…]
The Reverend Dean thought a moment in silence. “As I understand it,” he said at last, “these dancing-girls are sold under contract for a term of years. Sold usually by the wretchedly poor, and after that these people—yes, like Owannon and Saigo—have a right to their services for the specified period. I believe the girls can’t even own their clothes. In places like the Garden of the Dragon I don’t believe they are ill treated; I’m afraid they like the atmosphere. […] Dai Nippon is not the only place where they exist. Unfortunately, there always seems to be a charming illusion about these little dancers, but, after all, they are symbolized by the Beckoning Kitten, ‘Maneki-Neko,’ and I’m afraid they often show their claws.”