The cat with eyes open means... she's hunting? A good luck charm to keep him safe? I'm not sure if I'm remembering your worldbuilding lore correctly, but it's all so interesting!

That's pretty close!
Alf is a Blue Bread, which is a kind of warrior. He wears Sha's charm because part of his job is to hunt roamers (monster cats who have lost their minds/sense of self) and it's considered respectful to invite Sha to go with him by wearing an eyes open charm- since he's technically hunting her children.
It does sort of protect him. It's a Blue Bread's belief that if Sha is watching there's someone to hold them accountable for their actions, so they make better decisions.

Neat! I like reading about and seeing all these cool details you have about this!

my favorite boy *w*