My name is Idil Sobel, and I work as a veterinary technician at a local veterinary hospital. I was raised vegan, homeschooled, and generally speaking, pretty "hippy dippy". My passion for animals was inherent to my family and upbringing and I knew from an early age that I wanted to spend my time helping animals live healthier, longer, and more peaceful lives. I began working in veterinary medicine as a receptionist in 2021 at a nearby 24/7 emergency hospital, before switching to fast growing local small animal GP clinic in 2022. I have been working at this practice for over three years, and am currently enrolled in school studying to pass the VTNE to become a certified veterinary technician.

Dr. Kaitlyn Eppinger is a newer member of our local practices quickly-growing team. She has worked alongside a few of our technicians at other hospitals over the years, and is an invaluable member of our group with her knowledge of exotic animal care, emergency medicine, and surgery. She is the attending doctor for Uncle Gary.

Who is Uncle Gary?

Great question. We don't know a whole lot about him other than that he's a real nice guy. As far as we know, he was originally named Snoop when he was found as a kitten in a well in September of 2019 by a local animal control officer. He was a unilateral cryptorchid, meaning only one testicle descended into his scrotum and the other was partially descended into his inguinal ring. The surgery to remove both testicles was a success and Snoop was adopted. Unfortunately in September of 2021, Snoop was returned to the shelter with high levels of anxiety noted in his record. He was later adopted by a woman who named him Mister Kitty and provided a home for him and her two other cats. He has no medical history during that time, but reportedly was healthy and seemed to be doing well. He presented to Dr. Eppinger on 7/23/2025 for limping after getting loose outdoors. She immediately suspected that the leg was broken, but was limited in diagnostics and treatment options by the owners financial constraints. She discussed options including amputation, orthopedic surgery, or attempting a closed reduction and splinting. The owner was unable to pursue any of these options due to finances, and was unable to support him medically at home with due to her own recent troubles. Local rescues and resources were limited and many already overfilled. The owner was in a difficult place and was discussing the option of humane euthanasia with Dr. Eppinger. I caught wind of this case while working with another doctor, and felt something stir inside me. This is a 6 year old cat, incredibly friendly, being euthanized due to no fault of his own. Yes, the broken leg is a difficult endeavor to take on, but it's not worth losing his life over. Dr. Eppinger and I come up with a plan. I go in and have a talk with the owner, and I offer (while keeping in mind that this poor woman has absolutely been put through the wringer lately) gently, as another option, that I would try my best with him if she wanted to transfer ownership to me. She took a few moments to consider, but realized quickly that this was his best chance for the time being. We signed paperwork and she surrendered him to me. I immediately renamed him Uncle Gary, because everyone seems to have an Uncle Gary except for me.

Dr. Eppinger then took over his case that day, and helped by paying for sedated orthopedic radiographs and pain medications. He reacted very strongly to one of the sedatives we administered and awoke unaware of what was around him. He did break skin on a technician who was holding him, and is currently placed in mandatory Rabies quarantine for 10 days. One the drugs wore off, he went right back to being his sweet lovely self. We found a dislocated knee and hip abnormalities on his radiographs. We attempted closed reduction and splinting, however it is not likely that this will be a sufficient fix for this type of injury. Yes: He will live, but he will also likely be painful in that leg and will require a lifetime of medication and assistance with general functions. My goal is to be able to set him up for a life where he can live happily and peacefully and pain free. I am trying to raise the money to amputate his leg, which is a cost upwards of $5000. This will remove the issue entirely and is the most affordable and best long term solution that I am able to pursue at this time (unless I somehow raised around $8,000 for orthopedic surgery).

Now: I am not in a situation to easily take on the responsibility of a cat, let alone one that requires assistance for its basic functions at this time. I live in a 3rd floor walk up apartment with two roommates, a dog, and a cat. I am a vet tech and student. I barely scrape by financially, mentally, and emotionally most weeks. That being said, I am willing to give everything I can to trying to set this cat up for success. Dr. Eppinger and I are currently paying for all costs related to his medical care, and we could really use your help. Cases like Uncle Gary's are why I am in this field. I want to save lives and improve them. I may not have much to offer financially, but I am putting everything I've got into making sure he is comfortable and well taken care of in the meantime. His hind right leg is splinted and he is unable to posture correctly to urinate and defecate and needs to have frequent splint changes due to bathroom accidents. He is now able to take a few little steps with the splint but is still adjusting to it. It is not a long term solution, and it is not a good quality of life to be forced into. Please help me get this guy set up for success!