My kitten ate cotton. Is diarrhea the only sign of obstruction?

It can take a few days for the stool to get back to normal after having diarrhea. If you haven't yet, I would have your kitten examined by a vet for intestinal parasites, such as worms, Giardia, or coccidia, that can cause a persistently bloated appearance. If a kitten eats a lot, they will appear bloated, but it goes down over time until the next meal. If she is on wet food, and especially if you are adding water, then you may not see her drinking any water by itself. Wet food has a high water content, and she may be getting everything she needs from her food. If she is eating normally, then I would not be concerned about her water intake. Just make sure she has easy access to fresh, clean water.

It is possible Coco has intestinal parasites. You would need to submit a stool sample to your veterinarian for confirmation. A physical exam would be recommended to rule out other causes. If intestinal parasites are diagnosed, your veterinarian can dispense or administer the appropriate dewormer. It may need to be repeated in 2, 4 and 6 weeks. He should be eating a quality kitten food. Fish alone is not a balanced diet for a growing kitten. Discontinue the milk as well since it may cause stomach upset.

Withhold food for so long in such a small kitten is not recommended. Diarrhea is a signs referring to a intestinal problem. It could be due to parasitic infestation (very common in kittens) dietary indiscretion, inflammatory disease, bacterial diseases or viral diseases. You could provide bland food (boiled breast chicken or white fish or gastrointestinal commercial diet) for a 24-36 but, if she continues to have diarrhea, might get dehydrated and therefore need to be checked by a veterinarian. Also if you can spot blood in the faces or if she get lethargic and not eating, or if she start vomiting, I would suggest to have her checked by your veterinarian as soon as possible. 
Good luck and post again on the forum if you need further advices. I hope my answer was helpful.

Poor Ralph! If he is eating, drinking, and playing, then I would not consider this to be an emergency - it's never wrong to take him to an emergency vet if you're worried, but from what you are describing, I don't think it's necessary right now. If he had an intestinal blockage or other serious problem related to the paper he ingested, I would expect him to be vomiting, not eating, and acting lethargic. Since he's acting normal apart from his diarrhea, it sounds like he just has a mild upset stomach at this point - which is quite common in kittens who have eaten things they shouldn't :) As long as he's feeling fine, you can try feeding him a bland, easily digestible diet of plain boiled chicken or chicken-flavored baby food for the next 2-3 days to see if this helps to resolve the diarrhea now that he has pooped out the piece of paper. If this doesn't help, or if he develops any of the symptoms of an intestinal blockage that I listed above, then I would definitely recommend having him seen by a vet at that point as he may need x-rays or other testing to determine what's going on.

I don't think the diarrhea has anything to do with the upper respiratory infection. I would recommend that you call the vet. They may want to test for intestinal parasites or may be concerned about a different bacteria or virus causing the diarrhea. I wouldn't change any food right now, since a sudden change may make the diarrhea worse. If he develops vomiting, decreased appetite, or lethargy, I would definitely have him checked out by the vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Diarrhea and a decrease in appetite could be a sign of a number of different problems. Intestinal parasites are possible, even for indoor cats, as are some infections or diseases like colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. If the diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours or seems to be getting worse, or if her appetite does not improve during that time I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian. They may treat her symptoms or recommend some testing like blood work or a fecal analysis depending on what they find during a physical examination.