Trying new food after a few days of vomiting

I'm posting here in health, but I have a nutrition query too.

Woke up Monday morning and Ruby had been sick overnight. She's vomited foamy liquid before on occasion, but this was the first time it looked like undigested food.  Sunday she seemed a little less food obsessed than usual, and was still eating all the wet food, but leaving dry food behind, which was very strange for her.   Tuesday & Wednesday were ok but again the dry food was being left behind.  I thought maybe her "stray-cat eating syndrome"  was going away.    However, Thursday morning discovered she'd been sick in 3 or 4 different spots overnight.  And when I fed her wet food for breakfast, she meowed loudly and threw up within 10 minutes. 

Took her to the vet before work and her temperature was fine and she wasn't dehydrated, and he could find nothing obvious wrong with her.    He felt no sign of a blockage and noted her stomach was empty.  Even with a empty stomach she had gained a bit of weight since she'd been there for her shots in December.    He said because she was young and healthy he didn't see the need to do blood work and x-rays at this time as they would get costly.  I left her with them for the day (had to go to work) and they gave her a shot of Famotidine and tried her on the Medi-Cal Hypoallergenic canned food.  She ate it and had no issues, so I bought a can to try.   She ate a little that night and was fine.   But Friday morning I gave her some and she vomited brown liquid within 30 minutes. She still wanted food so I tried to give her a bit more but she didn't want it.  I also tried her beef Iams and she didn't eat that either.  So she ate nothing until 6 pm.  Except for 2 pill pockets - 1 with a 1/4 tablet of Famotidine.  She ate some of the Medi-Cal and Iams periodically during the evening and she was fine.  She slept with me on the bed last night and I thought all was well, until this morning I realized the sleeve of my housecoat (which was on the bed all night)  was wet with a hint of yellow.   Yes, gross.  And, yes, it's already been washed.

Today has been issue-free, except for the housecoat discovery.  And I've given her more of the Iams beef than the Medic-Cal, as I just bought more of it today.  She's been using the litter box normally, in fact her stool is more formed than sometimes.  I've noticed canned chicken food doesn't agree with her.  But I think it was the dry Iams that she had the reaction to, so I will not be giving her anymore of it.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but here are my questions:

1)  could a cat throw up without waking me up?

2) anyone else ever give their cat Famotidine?  I've got 3 tablets - giving her 1/4 tablet twice a day for 6 days.

3) any comments/reviews on the Medi-Cal Hypoallergenic canned food?   It's not grain-free.  And the main ingredient is duck!

http://www.royalcanin.ca/index.php/...inary-Therapeutic-Formulas/Hypoallergenic-Wet

4) will 1 can of the Medi-Cal a day be enough?  There's 188 calories per can.

Sorry to hear that Ruby is not feeling well. It could be an intolerance to an ingredient in her food, but since the vomiting has occurred with both the Iams and the Medi-Cal, it would have to be something common to both foods. At this point, I would recommend more diagnostic tests since the issue is continuing. To answer your questions:

1) yes, it's possible.
2) I believe famotidine is generic Pepcid AC which is an acid blocker. It is commonly given for excess stomach acid. Ruby may need something else, like an anti-nausea med like Cerenia and possibly an appetite stimulant as well.
3) the Medi-cal does have some objectionable ingredients. I would say if it was working for her, keep her on it until you figure out what the problem is. But since she threw up on that as well, I would look for a different food with more limited ingredients.
4) to stave off fatty liver, you need to ensure Ruby is eating at least 15 calories per pound daily.

One other thing that occurred to me as I was typing, try feeding her smaller meals more often.

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll bump this thread up so maybe someone else will see it and be able to help out.

1) Cats don't always make a lot of noise when they throw up, so yes, it's possible that you wouldn't hear it if you're sleeping soundly
2) You're probably more familiar with the brand name Pepcid (famitodine is the generic name). It reduced stomach acid but is not specifically anti-nausea. You might want to ask your vet about an anti-nausea med if the famitodine isn't helping.
3) I don't know anything about Medi-Cal. Try a search in the nutrition forums to see if it's been discussed there before.
4) How big is your cat? A 15# cat will need more calories than an 8# cat.

I would say to get her tummy to calm down before trying to change food again.  Continue with the food the vet gave you and see how she does on it after a couple of weeks.  Stop giving her anything but the prescription food since you're trying to figure out what's causing this problem.  As for the amount to feed her, vball has a good suggestion, so go by that for now.  If you have questions, call the vet's office and ask how much you should be feeding her.   

4) to stave off fatty liver, you need to ensure Ruby is eating at least 15 calories per pound daily.

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Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I know I covered a lost in my post.

I'm happy to say Ruby's feeling better.   There's been no vomiting since overnight Friday & Saturday and both times that was clear/yellow-ish liquid.   And I've only given her the Medi-Cal since I bought more on the weekend.   She seems to like it, but then again until last week she'd never refused anything!

Right now I'm giving her a 1/4 can when I get up and another 1/4 about an hour later before I go to work.   And she gets another 1/4 can when I get home, and the last 1/4 later in the evening. And finally a few Medi-Cal treats before bed.   She weighs about 9 pounds so the 188 calories per can, with a few treats, sounds ok.   And as mentioned in my 1st post she had gained weight since December with eating 2 IAMS cans a day, plus 1/4 cup dry and treats.   That sounds like a lot now, but the cat is always looking for food!

From googling it appears the clear vomiting occurs when the stomach gets empty and more often with cats that are fed once or twice a day.   I'd like to leave her food to graze, but Ruby is not a grazer.  She does not get the concept of saving something for later. LOL.

I will start another thread in the nutrition forum to see if anyone has any comments on the Medi-cal.  Thanks again.

Edit to add:  just wanted to add, I know how I slept through the vomiting Saturday AM, because I was awake when she got sick early Sunday morning and all I heard was a little cough.  It didn't bother her though, because a minute later I heard her running through the house playing.