Lethargic, vomiting cat

Question
Hello. I have a 3 year old female inside cat and just recently she has lost interest in eating, has been quite lethargic and has vomited twice today (her vomit was clearish with some yellow). She is fine when I pick her up and does not seem to be in any pain in that regard. We suspect she may have swallowed some drain-o due to the fact that she likes to jump into the bathtub and drink the water. I was wondering if there were any home remedies to help; I cannot really afford to take her to the vet at the present time.

Answer
Hi Bekah.  No, unfortunately there is nothing you can do from home on this one.  If she has swallowed Drano, serious injuries could result.  You could try contacting this org to see if any assistance may be available to you - http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/breedingregistration/

Sometimes cats will have a passing virus that will cause them to vomit and feel horrible overall.  These just have to be waited out.  Withhold food and water for 12 hours, and then offer something bland, like chicken baby food.  If vomiting continues, you may withhold food for another 12 hours.  But if it continues for more than 24 hours, she may start to become dehydrated and could require fluids under the skin and/or a medication to stop the vomiting.

There are lots of other possibilities, like a serious worm infestation, bacterial/fungal/protozoan infection, kidney failure or even cancer in or surrounding the digestive tract.  Of course, these all require veterinary treatment.  I wish there was something safe to try at home, but any medication you could give must be given under the direction of a vet.