Meet Our Staff at City Kitty

Dr. Cathy Lund

City Kitty Founder

Cathy Lund, DVM, loves cats! They are so important to her that she opened City Kitty Veterinary Care for Cats, the first cat practice in RI, more than 20 years ago. She served as the delegate for “the small but mighty” state of RI in the American Veterinary Medical Association, and promotes cats in her position as a director for the American Association of Feline Practitioners. She is a frequent speaker on cats and their emotional and medical concerns and helps veterinarians learn to think like a cat. Dr. Lund was awarded the 2007 AVMA Meritorious Service Award for her work as board president and founder of the Companion Animal Foundation, a statewide, veterinary-based nonprofit organization that helps low-income pet owners afford essential veterinary care. She was veterinarian of the year in RI in 2010. Dr. Lund shares her home with her husband, Dr. Peter Karczmar, and their three handsome cats. She currently serves on several architectural and preservation commissions in the city of Providence, but her absolute favorite activity is to promote the countless virtues of the purr-fect pet, the cat!

Dr. Sarah Mercurio

Medical Director

Dr. Sarah Mercurio is a feline-fanatic! She has been at City Kitty since 2009. Prior to joining City Kitty she worked at a feline-exclusive practice in the Los Angeles area. She received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota, and always knew that she wanted to work exclusively with cats (and their staff). In addition to her work at City Kitty, Dr. Mercurio serves on the Board of Directors for the RI Veterinary Medical Association and serves on the AVMA Council on Education. She also teaches spin classes at a local cycle studio. Dr. Mercurio loves spending time with her husband and 2 daughters, their 2 cats; William and Thomas, flock of chickens and beehives.

Dr. Sarah Mercurio

Medical Director

Dr. Sarah Mercurio is a feline-fanatic! She has been at City Kitty since 2009 and became the Medical Director in 2021. Before joining City Kitty, she worked at a feline-exclusive practice in the Los Angeles area. She received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota and always knew that she wanted to work exclusively with cats (and their staff). Dr. Mercurio’s interests include geriatric medicine and soft tissue surgery. In addition to her work at City Kitty, Dr. Mercurio serves as President of the RI Veterinary Medical Association and as a site visitor for the AVMA Council on Education, the accrediting body for all US and Canadian veterinary schools. She is also an official with USA Swimming. In her spare time, Dr. Mercurio enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 daughters and 2 cats; William and Thomas. She enjoys traveling, attending her kids’ swim meets, horse shows and beekeeping.

Dr. Rebecca Palmer

Dr. Rebecca Palmer has been practicing exclusively with cats since her graduation in 2009 and at City Kitty since 2019. She received her veterinary degree at the University of California at Davis and practiced at a feline hospital in Santa Clarita, CA (which is where she met Dr. Mercurio years ago!) She moved to Massachusetts in 2013 where she spent 5 years at another feline practice in Arlington, MA. She knew before attending vet school that she wanted to work with cats exclusively and was so excited to go directly into the field. Her favorite part of kitties is their toe beans. She lives in Providence with her three cats — Mooshi, Barnum and Captain Clyde the One-Eyed.

Dr. Kaarin Vekman

Dr. Vekman originally grew up in Mahopac, NY. After numerous life adventures on the West Coast, she decided to move back to her roots on the East Coast. Dr. Vekman earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University. She was awarded the prestigious Winn Feline Foundation and American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) scholarship during her senior year of Veterinary School. Dr. Vekman worked for many years in California at a feline specialty hospital prior to moving back to the East Coast. Dr. Vekman is excited to be part of the City Kitty team. She is passionate about providing fear-free cat friendly handling and gold-standard feline medical care. Dr. Vekman’s special interests include feline internal medicine, dentistry, geriatric and palliative care. While outside the hospital environment, Dr. Vekman enjoys drawing, painting, sewing, music, dancing and hiking. Most of her time is spent in the company of her fuzzy felines: Oscar, Schuster, Fig (an FIP warrior/survivor), Thelma, Suzie Q, Stinky Linky, Winnie and Loretta.

Dr. Erin Flynn

Dr. Flynn was raised in Rhode Island and got her Bachelor of Science degree at URI. During that time, she started working at a cat sanctuary where she learned how to help care for unadoptable/semi-feral cats. She got her veterinary medicine degree in Arizona at Midwestern University, where she solidified her feline-only path. Dr. Flynn is so excited to meet you and your beloved kitty. She enjoys feline dentistry and soft tissue surgery as well as helping to manage complex geriatric cases. When she’s not at work, she’s spending time with her incredible family, growing stronger in her Faith and taking care of her 3 sweet cats: Stanley, Louie and Finn.