Mercer Island, WA
Our Veterinary Team
Our veterinary team is here to help. At Island Cats Veterinary Hospital we treat you and your pets like our family,
Feline-Friendly
Low-stress Environment
Compassionate Service
Meet our Veterinary Team of
Devoted Cat Care Professionals
Gary Marshall, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Gary Marshall is a graduate of the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Marshall is a lifelong Eastside resident and has enjoyed bringing the first feline-exclusive practice to Mercer Island. His special areas of interest are soft tissue surgery and feline geriatrics; prolonging and enhancing your cat’s senior years. He also really enjoys getting to know the humans that come along with his feline patients.
With his position as an Adjunct Professor for Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, there are several veterinary students receiving part of their clinical training at Island Cats. Dr. Marshall is a Past-President of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association and still serves on the Board of Directors. Nationally, he currently serves as one of two representatives from Washington State in the House of Delegates for the American Veterinary Medical Association and is the only male serving on the Board of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative.
Outside of this profession, Dr. Marshall enjoys getting to all the corners of the Pacific Northwest to work on honing his landscape photography skills, and during the winter he participates in a local curling league. Dr. Marshall is married and has two grown children. He and his wife share their home with their senior cat named Millicent Cloudberry (Millie). The Marshall’s late cat Kimo was the model for the Island Cats Logo.
Timarie Simmons, DVM
Veterinarian
Timarie Simmons, DVM Dr. Simmons has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1998 but has been working in the field since 1985. She enjoys medicine and surgery and has had a long-term interest in animal welfare medicine. Although she has practiced medicine on exotics, dogs and cats, her love for cats led her to seek out an opportunity to focus on just feline medicine. She has a special interest in brachycephalic breeds but loves all types of cats! She believes owner education and communication is important in making care plans that work for each client’s family and their pet.
Sophia Kassotakis, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Sophia Kassotakis was born in California and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. She has worked as a veterinarian in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and now Washington.
Dr. Sophia takes pride in the connections and relationships she develops with people and feline loved ones. She believes in the human-animal bond and its ability to make the world a more compassionate, caring place. Medically, her interests include Geriatrics.
She’s excited to explore Washington and embark on new outdoor adventures. She also enjoys reading and relaxing on the couch with a hot cup of tea and her cats, Atlas and Mary Margaret.
Meet our Relief Veterinarians
Michael Brands, DVM
Veterinarian – Relief
Dr. Brands' Bio
Dr. Brands was born in Indiana but has been a West Coaster since 2000. He studied engineering and business at Purdue University before starting a career in retail management. It took some time before he found his true calling in life and enrolled in veterinary school at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his DVM degree. After graduation, he moved to Seattle where he worked as an associate in one practice for five years. He then made the transition to working as a relief veterinarian to create more flexibility in his schedule. That flexibility allows him to enjoy more of what he and his family love most: hiking, camping, and globetrotting. Mike lives in Ballard with his wife, two young (and crazy) boys, plus their dog (Rumi). Unfortunately, the family lost their cat (Rhubarb) in 2020.
Dana Morganroth, DVM
Veterinarian – Relief
Dr. Morganroth's Bio
Carlyn Zylstra, DVM
Veterinarian – Relief
Dr. Zylstra's Bio
Dr. Carlyn Zylstra is a western Washington native who has been practicing in the Seattle area for almost a decade. She graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience before being accepted to the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 2012 then completed a rotating internship at Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle. She practiced as an emergency room doctor for several years before transitioning to general practice.
Dr. Zylstra is very excited to be lending a helping hand with Island Cats! She enjoys the staff, the clients she’s met and of course, loves the cats!
In her free time, Dr. Zylstra enjoys traveling around in the family camper van with her wife Kensey and dog Stella. She also loves skiing, surfing, hiking, and being outside in general. Of course, on more quiet days, she loves snuggling with her two cats, Gumbo and Surfboard (though Surfboard wishes she would leave her alone).
Meet our Veterinary Staff
Hayla
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Hayla's Bio
Dominic
Veterinary Assistant
Dominic's Bio
Naomi
Veterinary Technician
Naomi's Bio
Kayla
Client Care Coordinator
Kayla's Bio
Kayla joined Island Cats in 2022 as a Client Care Coordinator. Kayla’s passion for animals, and more specifically for cats, are what lead her to pursue a career in the veterinary field. She and her family share their lives with three cats. They have a tabby cat named Pepper, a tuxedo cat named Takoyaki, and a calico named Wheatie. When not at work Kayla spends her time with her kiddos playing video games, creating Perler bead art, and cooking and baking. Kayla frequently spoils her coworkers by bringing in her baked goods to share with everyone. Yumm!