Every defenseless newborn kitten needs someone to look after them. Some of them are lucky enough to have their mommies; sometimes, humans step up to fill the role. And while this little fluffball fell into that latter group, he also had his own personal hero to guard him as he grew.
In 2015, then, a Japanese household received an addition to their ranks: a little baby kitten.
And the cat couldn’t have been more than three days old, as his eyes hadn’t even opened. However, Mai Narushima took the orphan in and welcomed him as a member of the family.
“At that time, he was alone, and he was about three days after birth,” Narushima told the feline news site Love Meow in July 2016.
So the kitten’s humans took responsibility for his care and duly gave him the name Koma.
At such a young age, Koma needed round-the-clock care from his human providers. Kittens usually get their nourishment from their mother’s milk but, alternatively, can develop just fine on formula.
The only trick is that newborn kittens need to be fed about every hour or two.
Feeding aside, the family’s new charge also needed to be kept warm. So, although a kitten usually retains its heat by being close to its mother and siblings, Koma’s new family provided an alternative.
And let’s face it: few things are as cute as a tiny kitten swaddled in blankets!
But there was cuter to come. At an early stage in Koma’s development, his humans decided that they wanted to chronicle his growth from helpless little kitten to independent cat.
And while they had given their little bundle of joy a new life filled with love, they still had another gift yet to give.
Indeed, while Koma already had his heroes, one more couldn’t hurt. As a result, one of his new family members gave him an action figure of Ultraman – a famous Japanese superhero.
“It is safe to have you sleep with a strong hero,” a follower wrote on Instagram.
In his TV series, Ultraman acts as a protector of the weak and fights against invading aliens to defend the Earth from destruction. Naturally, then, he was a good guardian for the tiny Koma.
And, surprisingly, they both shared a similar superpower.
That is, they both had the ability of super-fast growth. In order to battle invading monsters, for example, Ultraman grows to tower over buildings.
Nevertheless, it seemed as if Koma was going to soon tower over his hero – and, of course, Ultraman kept watch over his charge every step of the way.
For Koma, meanwhile, it was love at first sight: he adored his Ultraman. In turn, the action figure guarded Koma when he slept and kept him company when his humans couldn’t be by his side.
What’s more, Ultraman was also present for all of the kitty’s major developments in life.
Indeed, when Koma first opened his eyes, Ultraman was there. And when the kitten started to walk by himself, the action figure was seemingly full of encouragement.
Koma couldn’t have asked for a more loyal and attentive buddy, in fact.
In no time at all, though, little Koma started to outgrow his Ultraman – at least, in size. But while the hero was no longer the biggest of the two, the furbaby still made time for his friend.
The two were inseparable – and both gave Koma’s humans the opportunity to capture a selection of heart-melting photos.
Needless to say, moreover, it wasn’t just Ultraman who adored Koma, as the kitty’s photo album won over the internet with its cuteness.
Now the kitten and his hero have more than 68,000 followers on Instagram, with many of them seemingly unable to get enough of the daring duo.
“This kitty has the cutest story about Ultraman growing up with him,” one Instagram user wrote about the adorable pair. “I can’t handle the cuteness!!” exclaimed another.
And as with any feel-good viral story, the online fans of Koma and his guardian shared their joy with others.
“You have follow this ginger and his bestie the superhero,” one commenter told his friend. And no matter how big Koma got, Ultraman was right there with him.
In fact, as Koma grew, he made the ideal monster-fighting companion for his guardian.
Yes, Koma and Ultraman practiced their battle moves together to prepare for alien invaders; they never played too rough, however, and always remained the best of friends.
Oh, and while kittens often play-fight with one another, their humans shouldn’t worry, as it’s a natural thing for them.
One could even say that Ultraman acted like a big brother to Koma.
Like true family, he was there for the bad times as well as the good and to pick Koma up when he’d fallen down – metaphorically speaking, of course.
Interestingly, too, in Japan cats are oftentimes thought of as lucky. For example, a given home or business there will sometimes have a Maneki-neko, or “fortune cat,” to beckon good luck across its threshold.
And Koma was certainly lucky to have found his heroes, both human and ultra, to look after him.
Meanwhile, Koma celebrated his first birthday in September 2016 – and, naturally, Ultraman put aside saving the world for a day to help his best friend celebrate. What’s more, with their party pictures later uploaded to Instagram, thankfully the daring duo’s fans got to help celebrate as well.
Look at what a handsome cat Koma has grown up to become!