My kitten ate paper, has diarrhea, acts normal. Should I call vet?

Question

Hello! My 6mo kitten has had diarrhea since Thursday. I thought it was due to me switching his food, but he just pooped out a big piece of twine-like paper from what I assume is a paper shopping bag. He's eating, drinking and playing normally. Should I take him to a 24/7 vet clinic, should I take him to the vet in the morning or should I wait to see if this clears up the problem? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 6 months and 17 days old | 6 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

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.

My kitten ate paper, has diarrhea, acts normal. Should I call vet?

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