Dr. Erika Lilja grew up in Holden, Massachusetts, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Bates College in Maine before attending veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. After graduating in 2000, she relocated to the Midwest and has been caring for pets throughout Chicagoland ever since, practicing at several veterinary clinics on Chicago's North Side and in the surrounding suburbs.

Dr. Lilja has a special interest in dentistry and geriatric medicine, with a particular passion for caring for senior cats. She lives in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood with her wife, their two cattle dog mixes, Nigel and Clive; three cats, Stevie, Maverick, and Goose; and three backyard chickens, Charlie, Max, and Ely. Outside of work, Dr. Lilja enjoys birding, playing pickleball, and exploring her family's genealogy.