HISTORY:  Among the Royalties (and Wealthy) of Faerun, there is little
that their children want for.  In the Magic Rich domains of Halruua,
Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Calimshan, and others.  Children of the rich often
are presented with all sorts of items to entertain them.  Of course, being
children, they inevitably want pets.  Pets require maintenance, grow old,
die, do bad things on the silk carpets.  Those who are wealthiest, and
looking for a quick, magical "fix", often turn to wizards to fulfill their
children's desire (without the clean-up of real animals).  One of the most
successful items among girls all over the Realms has been the Figurine of
Wondrous Power Kitten.  Originally created for a long gone Calshite Pasha
by Wideon (LN hm M-23), the mage who learns the secret of making these
items has developed a source of income for life.

During the Time of Troubles, the Goddess Sharess (Bast), happened upon a
mage catnapping kittens.  Following him, she discovered the key part of
creating one of these items was the sacrifice of a kitten to empower the
item, and the mother cat to bind the kitten to the figurine.  Cats being in
her portfolio, she slew the wizards and, upon her return to the heavens,
charged her clergy with seeing no more of these items are made, as well as
blessing those already within existence.

APPEARENCE:  As a Figurine, all of these items appear as a life-like
statue of a kitten, usually in some playful pose.  The statuettes are
painted as the coloring of the kitten spirit inside.  Always, the eyes are
made of two bright blue gemstones.

  When activated, a kitten will appear nearby.  It's a kitten, it looks like
  a kitten.

  Some (5%), will be Flutter Cat Kittens

POWERS:  When activated, these Figurines summon a kitten from the Astral
Plane, the kitten will always be friendly to its summoner.  When first
summoned it will be energetic and wanting to play.  Though it has no need
of food, it will gladly accept treats and saucers of milk.  The Kitten may
be summoned for a total of 8 hours per day.  If kept for longer than three
hours, it will tire and take a nap.  If mistreated, it does not have to
answer a summons (a gift from Bast).

Combat stats: None, it runs away.  If cornered it will fight as a 1/2 H.D.
monster.  Three attacks, 20 THAc0, damage nil/nil/1.

Blessing of Bast:  Any who harms one of these kittens, or uses them as
trap detectors, missile weapons, monster bait, potion identification kits,
etc... will find themselves under the Curse of Bast.  All normal cats will
go out of their way to harass the character.  A thief Hiding will find a
cat yowling to give away his position.  A mage or priest will find a chorus
of cats outside their window (or bedroll), yowling to ensure the
spellcaster can not get enough sleep to regain his spells.  Ao forbid, they
go somewhere where Fluttercats or Tressym live (think Pigeon and freshly
washed car).

Large cats will have a dislike of the character (-2 Reaction modifier), or
a +2 bonus to saving throws vs charm animal/monster spells.  (Or the Ranger
Empathy ability, but you just did something nasty to a kitten, so I think
Mielikki is a much bigger problem for you at present).  Wemics and other
Cat-men will have a dislike and distrust of a character under this curse.
Clergy of Nobionan or Sharess, with any detection spell, will reveal a
mystic mark identifying the character as a Maimer of Kittens.  They will
react appropriately.

The only way to be rid of this curse is to find a Priest of Sharess to
cast an Atonement.  This will require a sizable donation, as well as some
sort of quest (note there are no more homeless Kittens in Waterdeep, thanks
to the Adventuring band Dragon's Fear and their Explosive Runes covered in
Milk idea)

How does one find this item?

Find One:  They can be commisioned from various mages in Waterdeep,
Nimbral, Silverymoon (discreetly), Halruaa, Skuld (Mulhurand), Luskan,
Thay, and Baldur's Gate.  It requires 3 months to make one, and usually
costs a minumum of 10,000 G.P.

Really Find one:  Being magical kittens, they are rarly found in treasure
troves (as most treasure troves come about by adventures dying looking for
one).  However, 2 notable exceptions occur.  First, Dragons (notably Blue
and Green), often terrorize villages by demanding maiden sacrificies.  If
they demand a princess or rich merchant's daughter (and the people comply),
the child is often sacrificed with her most treasured items (the kitten).
Of particular note is a family of Blues in the Calim Desert who have
succesfully done this for several hundred years, and at least the Kittens
should be among their hordes.   Others who should have one:
Glylissstheiyhtist, an Old Green often seen about the Vilhon Reach.
Brurtslithe, a Young Adult Green seen in Chessenta;  Frirestrisswenthn, an
Anciet Red of the Nether Mountains;  The previously mentioned Llightfrang
clan of Blues in the Calim Desert; and A Great Wyrm Blue in Anauroch that
has not been seen in generations, and whose name has been forgotten.
Lazertent, an Elder Orb Beholder of the Lake of Steam Region.

Graverobbing, known as "Dungeon-Delving" by adventurers.  When a small
child dies, she was often interred with her favorite possesions, including
the Kitten.  Some who kept the Kitten their entire lives wished to be
buried with it, or simply had no one to will it to.  Since these people
were often of high birth, the graves could be quite complex.  Those of
ancient Unther, Mulhorand, and the fromer Calim Empire of Calimshan, Amn,
and Tethyr, often were buried in complex masuleums, that are now forgotten
and now safely qualifly as "Dungeons" to be explored.

Under the Sea.  When traveling by ocean, shipwrecks due occur.  No less
than fifty of these magical statues are known to have been on vessels that
sunk, attacked by pirates, or have never been seen again (Two were
transported to Ravenloft).  It would be possible to find one of these
within a Pirate hold in the Nelanther  Pennisula of Amn (or Tethyr), Pirate
Isles of The Sea of Fallen Stars, or even the Pirate Islands surrounding
Hawa: City of Chaos in Zahkara.  It should also be able to find one while
adventuring beneath the waves, such as Seros or the sea kingdoms of the
Great Sea.  These might be found in lairs both fair and foul.  So, one
might have to destroy an evil (ixithcil), or barter with an ally (sea
elves) to get one.

On the Trail, various humanoid hordes have run over villages and destroyed
caravans.  It would be possible to find one of these in any humanoid lair
that was close to major trade routes or Merchant cities.

How many exist?
As to how many exisit?  Probably several thousand have been made, most of
which should still survive.  There are only a couple of dozen of the much
rarer Flutter Kitten variety, however.

Can you free the kitten spirit inside?
Free, have to think on that one for awhile.  Note:  At least two mages
have sucessfully used Find Familiar with these Statuates.  Any attempt to
free the Kitten Spirit would probably involve seeking its spirit form on
the Astral.