In 2016, Love Meow shared the story of Koma, a Japanese kitten rescued when he was only about three days old. He had been found without his mother or siblings, and his eyes had not yet opened. The family who took him in wanted to document his growth, so they placed a small Ultraman figure beside him. At first, the superhero toy was almost the same length as the tiny kitten.
The figure became a recurring part of Koma’s photographs as he opened his eyes, learned to walk, napped, played, and rapidly grew larger. It is tempting to describe Ultraman as Koma’s protector or best friend, but the emotional role belongs to the family’s playful storytelling rather than something the kitten could confirm. What the pictures genuinely document is a rescued newborn transforming from a palm-sized infant into a healthy-looking young cat over many months.
Koma Was Only Three Days Old
Koma was estimated to be about three days old when the Japanese family found him alone. Love Meow reported that his mother and siblings were not with him and that his eyes were still closed, which is normal at such an early stage. Newborn kittens are highly dependent on maternal care for warmth, feeding, grooming, and elimination. When a kitten this young is truly orphaned, care becomes intensive, so experienced rescue or veterinary guidance is especially important rather than relying on ordinary kitten-feeding routines.
His Eyes Had Not Opened
The early photographs show Koma before his eyes opened, emphasizing just how young he was when he entered the family’s care. Kittens are born with closed eyes and gradually open them during the early weeks of life. At this stage they are also limited in mobility and cannot function like an older, playful kitten. The family’s images created a visual record of those rapid developmental changes. Instead of one dramatic before-and-after picture, viewers could watch small milestones appear gradually as Koma became more alert and mobile.
Ultraman Matched Koma’s Size
The unusual companion was not another animal but an Ultraman figure. Koma’s family reportedly chose it because the toy was close to the kitten’s length, making it useful as a playful scale reference in photographs. The idea produced an instantly recognizable comparison as Koma grew. Calling the figure his protector was part of the family’s affectionate theme, not a literal relationship that can be proven. Still, placing the same object beside him over time made his physical growth easy to see without measurements or complicated explanations.
The Family Documented His Growth
Rather than using Ultraman for a single novelty picture, the family continued photographing Koma beside the figure as he developed. Love Meow published images showing the kitten at multiple stages, including early walking, sleeping, playing, and growing noticeably taller than the toy. Repeating the same visual reference gave the series its charm. It also turned an ordinary growth record into something viewers could follow instantly. Each new image showed how quickly a kitten changes during the first months of life, especially after such a tiny beginning.
Koma Learned to Walk
One part of the photo series shows Koma beginning to walk after his eyes had opened. Early kitten movement develops quickly, progressing from limited crawling to increasingly coordinated standing, walking, running, and play. The Ultraman figure remained beside him during those photographs, making the developmental shift especially visible. At first the toy looked large next to him. Soon Koma was standing taller and moving around it. The pictures are cute, but they also capture the very short window in which newborn kittens change almost day by day.
Koma Napped Beside Ultraman
As Koma became more mobile, the family also photographed him sleeping beside the Ultraman figure. Love Meow described the two as cuddling and sharing space, which fits the playful narrative surrounding the series. A toy, however, does not replace the warmth, social contact, feeding, or care normally provided by a mother cat and littermates. The meaningful part of the image is the continuity. The same object remained beside Koma while his body grew, allowing viewers to compare a tiny newborn with the increasingly large kitten he became.
Koma Quickly Outgrew the Figure
The scale comparison changed dramatically within months. Photographs that initially showed Ultraman nearly matching Koma’s length later showed the kitten towering over the figure. Love Meow noted that he became roughly twice as tall as his little photo companion while still young. This rapid change is one reason kitten growth photographs are so striking. The proportions of the face, limbs, ears, and body shift quickly during the first year. Koma’s repeated pictures made that transformation easy to understand without needing a chart or formal growth record.
Koma Reached His First Birthday
Love Meow later updated the story with Koma’s first birthday and eventually reported that he had turned two. By then, the tiny three-day-old rescue pictured beside Ultraman was fully grown. The figure remained part of the visual story even though its role had reversed completely, changing from a nearly equal-sized companion into a very small object beside an adult cat. Koma’s rescue history is memorable because the family documented ordinary development consistently, preserving a clear timeline from vulnerable newborn to grown cat.
Featured Image: Photo by Ludvig Hedenborg on Pexels
