How long have you been trying the cotton bud trick? I posted a thread below
about the two kittens we recovered from our kitchen wall ... it took a while
for the cotton bud trick to work, I don't know if the kittens were scared or
nervous or what, and I was getting concerned as well that they were not
having BMs even though they were eating ravenously, but we kept at it and
kept doing it for longer periods even though they fought it, and they are
finally having BMs (non-diarrhea thankfully).