It didn't start with dogs. All my life, there have been cats.

But the website started with Kyoto, a purebred shiba inu, who is now 10 years old. She has a lovely Japanese heritage. She is the shiba diva.

Shiba inu's are the #1 dog in Japan, and they are used to hunt small game. They mostly are responsible for cornering the game, not doing the kill. For example, my shiba inu's always let me know when the postman is coming to kill us, and I tell them "Good guard."

She has some pals. Her little brother, Karinoe, joined us 5 years ago. He is a rescue from a midwest puppy mill. The nice people at Hearts United for Animals in Nebraska rescued him and his brother. Karinoe is a black-and-tan shiba. He looks like a miniature husky or a GSD puppy. Most shibas are red and look like foxes.

Kyoto is named after the beautiful city of Kyoto, Japan, known for its spirituality, temples and gardens. Karinoe is a Japanese anime character - a detective something like Fox Mulder of the X-Files. The leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, also has a famous husky named Kyoto, named after the Kyoto Accord; Stephane Dion was the former environment minister of Canada. *My* Kyoto, on the other hand, is the *original*.

Kyoto and Karinoe share the house with Genji, my old gentleman cat, who wandered into my backyard 17 years ago. He was so small you could fit him in the palm of your hand. Mostly, he now sleeps in a cozy chair by the window in the upstairs bedroom. When the weather gets fine, he has a hankering to go out looking for Lady Cats, although I discourage that by keeping the back door closed when he is around. Genji is named after Prince Genji, a boy in an old Japanese novel.

The newest addition to our household is Molly, who was rescued in 2006. She was 10 at the time, and her family had decided they no longer had time for her. She has been through some major veterinary procedures since she joined us. A cancerous tumour in her ear was removed (total ear canal ablation) and she received radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism. She has recovered nicely from both, and I think she is happy to be here, despite having to share the house with dogs - a new experience for her! She is named after Molly Midnight, the title of two books by an artist.

We live in Toronto, on Canada's south coast. The snow pictures in the following link aren't typical, but seem appropriate as we've all had a lot of snow this February, and that is exactly what things look like today. Kyoto and Karinoe, like huskies, just LOVE the snow!

http://ragsandbones.ca/kyoto/snow270104.html

http://ragsandbones.ca/kyoto/index.html

http://ragsandbones.ca/kyoto/karinoe_index.html

Gorgeous furkids, and I enjoyed the snow pics.  We don't get much (any)
snow in South Texas.

I didn't see Genji before - he's a gorgeous kitty, too!

If I ever had a dog (which I can't because my husband dislikes dogs--was a newspaper delivery boy in his youth), I would have a shiba inu!  I have met several (red fox ones) and really, really liked them.  They seemed to have quirky personalities, besides their charming good looks.  Your pictures just made me want one even more.

And the cats are lovely,too.

rom6, you can have my snow.  We had over 13 inches here yesterday, and I have spent two days digging out.

What a gorgeous furry family. I live in Maine and right now, those pictures are very familiar. We have four cats, one male and three females, all neutered and spayed. Shadow is the one pictured, but they are all black and white. Really great webpages for all of your photos. A treat to have viewed them. I learned something new about your dogs. I did not know of them and probably only saw them as huskies. They are lovely.  Thanks for sharing.