Meet Our Office Cats: Tangtang, Our Sweetest Fighter

At Avia, we believe that an office with a cat is an office with a little more warmth, and a little more connection.

In 2023, our founder Vickie launched the “Office Cat” initiative—a program rooted in her lifelong love for animals and deep commitment to giving back. Long before our new office was finished, she had already reserved a dedicated “cat room” in the renovation plans. Her goal: to provide a forever home not for picture-perfect pets, but for animals who truly needed to be rescued.

We partnered with a 100% non-profit cat rescue organization in Beijing—run entirely by volunteers without any commercial sponsorship. Together, we began an adoption journey focused not on appearances, but on compassion.

That’s how Tangtang came into our lives.

Tangtang was barely 3 months old when he was rescued from the outskirts of Tangshan, a city in northern China.

He was so frail he looked like a little mouse. His right eye had ruptured from trauma—possibly from a fight with other strays, or worse, human abuse. Regardless of the cause, he was found in critical condition.

That night, volunteers drove overnight from Beijing to save him.

After emergency surgery and weeks of recovery, Tangtang survived. Though he lost one eye, his spirit remained bright. He grew stronger, gained weight, and—perhaps most remarkably—never lost his trust in humans.

He was named “Tangtang” partly after his birth city, Tangshan—but also because in Chinese, “Tangtang” means “Sugar”, a name that perfectly captured the quiet, comforting sweetness he brought into our lives through pet adoption.

Tangtang is a chubby British Shorthair with a soft, round face. Despite his missing eye, he looks like a little angel—always calm, always smiling.

He never hisses, never hides. On his first day at Avia, he curled up in a cozy corner of the cat room and began purring contentedly. It was as if he knew he was finally home.

He’s also unusually affectionate. He’ll nuzzle your legs when you’re walking by, or hop into your lap during meetings. Some say he acts more like a golden retriever than a cat.

When someone is working late, Tangtang will quietly sit nearby. When someone’s having a rough day, he’ll offer his silent, comforting presence.

Tangtang isn’t just a pet—he’s a symbol of our values.

He reminds us why we started the Office Cat initiative: to give neglected animals a second chance, and to bring purpose-driven connection into the workplace.

Today, he lives with Jiabao, another rescued cat, in the heart of our office. They’re more than mascots—they’re companions, emotional anchors, and a daily reminder of what it means to care.

He reminds us—every single day—that kindness isn’t measured by grand gestures, but by quiet consistency. That showing up, even if you’re small or scarred, matters. And that sometimes, the most unexpected souls can become the heart of a company. We also welcomed another adopted cat, Jiabao, check out his heartwarming pet adoption story in our latest blog.