“So many hours went into this project …”
Photographer Nils Jacobi isn’t just any artist behind the camera — he proudly calls himself The Catographer. And anyone who’s seen his work knows he’s earned the title. He specializes in capturing the charm, chaos, and pure sweetness of cats, and his photos and videos have gathered a huge audience of fellow feline fans online.
But one of Jacobi’s most recent projects didn’t just show off a cat’s personality. It captured an entire life story.
Last year, Jacobi visited Tierheim Hilden, an animal shelter near his home in Germany. While there, he was introduced to a newborn litter of five kittens. Among them were a tiny calico named Curly and her bright-orange brother, Leo — two babies who would soon become the stars of something truly special.
What was meant to be a single visit turned into a daily ritual. For months, Jacobi returned to the shelter every single day, equipment in hand, to take portraits of the kittens as they grew. The staff started expecting him — and the kittens quickly got used to their personal photographer.
His dedication paid off.
The Catographer created a set of heart-melting time-lapse videos showing Curly and Leo growing from delicate newborns into confident young cats in just a few magical seconds. Curly’s video captures her transformation from wobbly baby to expressive calico queen, while Leo’s features a detailed “morphlapse” — seamlessly blending photos from when he was 3 days old all the way to 11 months.
According to Jacobi, the story has the happiest possible ending. Curly, Leo, and all three of their siblings were adopted together into the same loving home. Even better, Jacobi still visits them and plans to release videos of the remaining siblings soon.
“So many hours went into this project,” he wrote in a post. “I’m so happy I had the chance to start this at the local animal shelter — and even happier that I can still meet them regularly at their amazing home!”