Table 3.

Apparent digestibility of protein, fat, energy, and dry matter (DM) and fecal concentrations of organic acids in domestic cats (Felis catus) fed either kibbled (n = 9) or canned (n = 9) diets at 17, 104, and 260 weeks of age.

		Kibbled						Canned
		17 weeks of age		104 weeks of age		260 weeks of age		17 weeks of age		104 weeks of age		260 weeks of age		P-value
		Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM	Diet	Week	Diet × week
Digestibility Coefficient
	Fat	0.819	0.017			0.931	0.015	0.862	0.026			0.935	0.007	0.15	< 0.001	0.34
	Protein	0.723	0.015			0.852	0.011	0.879	0.007			0.876	0.007	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
	Energy	0.735	0.015			0.786	0.014	0.822	0.014			0.807	0.009	0.08	0.003	0.01
	Dry matter	0.745	0.014			0.840	0.012	0.810	0.011			0.817	0.008	< 0.001	0.171	0.02
Fecal dry matter		33	1.4	33.1	1	34.1	2.9	26.2	1.4	28.8	1.3	31.4	2.6	0.03	0.39	0.73
Organic Acid (μmol/g DM)
	Acetate	188	56	192	16.1	312	36.4	400	56	209	44.9	186	30.9	0.48	0.497	0.72
	Butyrate	158	19	68.8	6.0	57.1	5.9	98	19	97.1	8.5	84.2	10.8	0.16	< 0.001	< 0.001
	Propionate	89	19.3	106	8.6	143	15.8	149	19.3	127	15.9	95.4	12.6	0.97	0.992	0.01
	Formate	0.9	0.05	0.91	0.03	0.92	0.06	1.2	0.05	1.06	0.05	1.11	0.15	0.02	0.927	0.89
	Lactate	0.9	0.05	0.9	0	1.2	0.2	1.2	0.05	1.1	0	1.6	0.2	0.09	0.031	0.80
	Valerate	174	28.2	68.8	8.4	30.7	5.7	43	28.2	75.9	11.1	45.7	7.2	0.15	< 0.001	< 0.001
	Isobutyrate	16.3	2.9	13.8	1.4	6.0	0.7	24.1	2.9	22	2.9	17.6	2.0	< 0.001	0.001	0.65
	Isovalerate	45.4	8.7	27.6	3.2	10.4	1.4	46.7	8.7	43.4	5.3	35.1	3.9	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.11
	Hexanoate	19.8	4.1	2.9	0.8	0.6	0.2	0.4	4.1	2.5	2.2	0.3	0	0.01	< 0.001	< 0.001
	Heptanoate	0.3	0.02	0.3	0	0.3	0	0.4	0.02	0.4	0	0.3	0	0.01	0.71	0.63
	Succinate	3.1	0.97	0.9	0	0.9	0.1	1.2	0.97	1.1	0	1	0.1	0.29	0.003	0.01

Results are reported as mean and associated standard error of the mean (SEM). DM, dry matter.