Fungi as a young kitten. Photo: @bubupawpaw
He was so frightened that he spent a pet expo hiding in his litter box while other kittens went home. Then one visitor picked him up, and he held on.
Cat shirts from our own little shop
When rescuers in Indonesia found him in June 2026, the black and white kitten was homeless and uncomfortable. Patches of his fur were missing, and his skin was inflamed.
The rescuers were from Bubupawpaw, a foster home group for cats. One of them, Shyaniz, named him after the very thing that was hurting him.
“When we first found him, his body was covered in a fungal skin infection, which is actually how he got [his] name,” she told The Dodo.
So he became Fungi.
The first treatments
Shyaniz took Fungi to a veterinarian. There he had the first of many treatments for his skin.
Then she brought him home to rest and recover.
Healing on the outside first
Day by day, his skin got better. His confidence did not follow as quickly.
Fungi stayed nervous and closed off. Instead of joining the household, he usually hid in his litter box.
“Fungi is a very shy and timid kitten, especially around strangers …” Shyaniz said.
Nobody knew what Fungi had been through before he was found. Shyaniz believed that care and predictable routines could help him come out of his shell.
Two favourites from our cat shirt shop
Ready, but not chosen
After a few months of medical treatment, Fungi was well enough to be adopted.
Shyaniz brought him to the Indonesia International Pet Expo, hoping someone there would want him. The event was crowded.
At first, it intimidated him. Fungi did what he always did.
“During the event, he spent most of his time hiding inside the litter box, so not many potential adopters showed interest in him,” Shyaniz said. “We felt sad seeing other kittens get adopted while Fungi was still waiting for his family.”
The visitor who noticed him
Then a woman named Angelica stopped by.
There were many cats to meet. According to Shyaniz, Angelica was drawn to Fungi right away.
She picked him up and held him like a baby. The kitten who hid from strangers settled into her arms. He wrapped his paws around her wrist and closed his eyes.
“When she held him, he seemed to feel comfortable with her almost immediately, even though he’s usually so scared of people,” Shyaniz said.
A new name for a new life
That was enough for Angelica. She applied to adopt him and went through Bubupawpaw’s screening process.
“Once everything was approved, Fungi finally found his forever family!” Shyaniz said.
He has a new name now: Flowey. As of The Dodo’s report at the end of October 2026, he was living with his new family and a cat sibling he had already bonded with.
“It makes us so happy to see how far he’s come from the frightened little kitten who used to hide in his litter box,” Shyaniz said.
The kitten once named for an infection is called Flowey now. He found his family the day he let a stranger hold him.
