Shiba Inu Doge meme star turns 16 and celebrates in style

Shiba Inu Doge meme star Kabosu wearing party hat
(Image credit: Instagram / @kabosumama)

Kabosu, the Shiba Inu Doge meme star who garnered worldwide attention after an impromptu photoshoot back in 2010, has celebrated her 16th birthday with an Instagram post that has generated thousands of comments and close to 150,000 likes.

Unknown until the age of five, Kabosu is a rescue Shiba Inu who shot to fame after photos of her with slightly raised eyebrows and crossed paws were posted online. The image has gone on to be one of the most popular and iconic memes of all time.

In a celebratory post, @weratedogs shared a series of snaps of the unassuming birthday girl with a sweet caption that has everyone talking.

 “This is Kabosu. She just turned 16 years old. She’s a rescue Shiba Inu who changed the world with an impromptu photoshoot back in 2010. Her slightly raised eyebrows and crossed paws remain one the greatest reaction images of all time. 15/10 such legend much wow.”

It wasn’t long before the chatter started with one user saying, “I wonder if she has any idea how much she’s worth 😂” and another adding, “What an absolute legend! Thank you @weratedogs for making us all lucky enough to know Kabosu 😍 and many many more happy returns of the day @kabosumama."

Named after a Japanese citrus fruit, Kabosu was given the name while she was at the rescue shelter and her owner kept it after adopting her. "Her face is very round just like kabosu [fruit]," Atsuko Sato said. "I thought the name was perfect, so I kept it."

Kabosu also has her own Instagram account, with over 350,000 followers, where she regularly shares her adventures, some of which feature one of her best friends - feline furkid Ginnan. 

Celebrating her birthday in style with a daytime party and an evening walk around her hometown, Kabosu ended her special day curled up in her dog bed, likely exhausted from all the festivities! 

Kathryn Rosenberg
Freelance writer

Kathryn is a freelance writer who has spent the past three years dividing her writing time between her two great loves - pets and health and wellness. When she’s not busy crafting the perfect sentence for her features, buying guides and news pieces, she can be found hanging out with a very mischievous Cocker Spaniel and a super sassy cat, drinking copious amounts of Jasmine tea and reading all the books.