Last updated Apr 11, 2023
Does Nature’s Variety Instinct have what it takes to satisfy your cat’s carnivorous instincts? Find out in our unbiased Nature’s Variety Instinct cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Nature’s Variety Instinct on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Nature’s Variety and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 7/10
- Product Variety – 10/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
We give Nature’s Variety Instinct cat food a 44 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Nature’s Variety Instinct
Nature’s Variety began as a small pet food manufacturer in Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s now owned by Agrilomen, a Barcelona-based firm. Agrolimen also owns Affinity Petcare, a leading European pet food supplier and holds 50% stake in Mogiana, a Brazilian pet food company.
Nature’s Variety continues to operate as an independent company with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. The company focuses on meat-centric recipes and emphasizes the value of fresh, freeze-dried, and raw ingredients.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Nature’s Variety Instinct raw cat food is manufactured in company-owned facilities in the United States, while their kibble is made by a third-party manufacturer, also in the United States. Their wet food manufacturing is done both in Thailand and Kansas.
Nature’s Variety ingredients are primarily sourced from the United States, with some proteins sourced from New Zealand, Australia, France, and Italy. The company doesn’t source any meat or poultry from China, but doesn’t mention sourcing other ingredients from the country.
Has Nature’s Variety Instinct Cat Food Been Recalled?
Nature’s Variety appears to have been recalled four times since its creation in 2002.
In 2015, Nature’s Variety recalled several varieties of chicken-based food after FDA testing revealed that the food was contaminated with salmonella. Earlier that year, the company issued a recall due to pieces of plastic in their food.
In 2012, the company recalled four sizes of kibble for dogs after learning that the food had an “off-odor” smell before its expiration date. Nature’s Variety said the food wasn’t contaminated, but voluntarily withdrew the food to ensure a top-notch experience.
Back in 2010, the company issued a recall of chicken-based raw food due to potential salmonella contamination.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Nature’s Variety Instinct Offer?
The Nature’s Variety Instinct cat food lineup is broken into six lines.
- Instinct Original includes both dry and wet foods. All of the foods in this line are at least 70% animal ingredients and are made without any grains.
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet foods are geared towards cats with food sensitivities and allergies. They’re made with one animal protein and a single primary vegetable ingredient. This line includes both wet and dry foods.
- Instinct Ultimate Protein wet and dry foods are at least 90% animal-derived protein and have up to 3 times more chicken or duck than other natural brands.
- Instinct Raw Boost is kibble with chunks of freeze-dried raw meat. The line also includes Raw Boost Mixers, which allow you to add those freeze-dried chunks to your kibble of choice.
- The Instinct Raw line includes one recipe. It’s a frozen raw product made primarily from chicken.
- Raw Signature includes raw frozen bites and medallions made from chicken and rabbit.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Cat Food – Top 4 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe | Wet | $0.47 per oz | A- |
| Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Cat Food | Dry | $4.55 per lb | B- |
| Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Rabbit Recipe | Wet | $0.69 per oz | A- |
| Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Pate Kitten Wet Cat Food | Wet | $0.51 per oz | A- |
#1 Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
Our first Nature’s Variety product review is a canned food made primarily from chicken. The recipe is 95% chicken, turkey, and chicken liver, plus chicken broth. The remaining five percent of this food is composed of egg product, ground flaxseed, peas, and carrots. The last two ingredients are high in carbohydrates and don’t add much to the food nutritionally.
The food also contains a small amount of “egg product”, which, like all feed-grade ingredients, may or may not be handled according to human food standards. Regardless of handling, eggs and egg product are nourishing sources of animal protein.
The food is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make it nutritionally complete.
Near the end of the ingredient list are a few more food ingredients. The recipe contains a touch of menhaden fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids and a pinch of fruits and vegetables, including artichoke, cranberries, pumpkin, and parsley.
Overall, this food is high in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
The food has 131 calories in each 3-ounce can or roughly 43 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Egg Product, Dicalcium Phosphate, Turkey, Peas, Carrots, Pumpkin, Tomato, Kale, Cabbage, Ground Flaxseed, Tuna Fish Oil, Guar Gum, Broccoli, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Blueberries, Salt, Parsley, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement).
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Menhaden Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Ground Flaxseed, Peas, Carrots
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal protein sources
- Contains a mix of muscle meat and organs
- Doesn’t contain any animal by-products
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
- Made without artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Low carbohydrate content
Cons
- Cost is above market average
#2 Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This grain-free kibble is 81% animal ingredients and oils with the remaining 19% of the recipe dedicated to “fruits, vegetables and other wholesome ingredients.”
The ingredient list starts with a mix of chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, and menhaden fish meal. Like many grain-free foods, this recipe includes peas as a grainless solution to the kibble binding problem. Unlike most grain-free foods, the food doesn’t contain any more legumes or starches, helping to keep the carbohydrate content relatively low.
The food contains chicken fat as its primary fat source, tapioca as a secondary binder, and “natural flavor” for added palatability. Tomato pomace, a by-product of tomato processing, is used as a source of fiber. After this fiber source, the food contains whitefish meal, consisting of Pacific whiting, sole, and rockfish.
Along with supplemental vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, the food contains trace amounts of montmorillonite clay, fruits, vegetables, and freeze-dried organs. It’s enhanced with “guaranteed levels of live, natural probiotics”—60,000,000 CFU in each pound or about 3.5 million CFU per serving.
Overall, this dry food has high protein content with moderate fat and relatively low carbohydrate content.
The food contains 488 calories per cup or about 117 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Choline Chloride, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Taurine, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Tapioca
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Free of animal by-products
- Made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Primarily made from animal protein
- Contains a mix of muscle meat and organs
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Low carbohydrate content compared to most dry foods
Cons
- Lacks the moisture cats need
#3 Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Rabbit Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food Review
Rabbit appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
This food is made for cats with allergies and food sensitivities, so it’s made from proteins that aren’t commonly allergenic. Excluding broth, the food is 95% composed of rabbit, pork, and liver. Rabbit and pork are novel proteins for many cats and are good choices for those with sensitivities to common allergens like chicken and beef.
The food is supplemented with menhaden fish oil, a species-appropriate source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s do a lot of great things, but most relevantly, they can reduce inflammation associated with allergies.
The food’s fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make it nutritionally complete. Near the end of the ingredient list is a smattering of fruits and vegetables.
Overall, this food is rich in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
The food has 80 calories in each 3-ounce can or about 27 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Rabbit, Pork, Pork Liver, Pork Broth, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Tricalcium Phosphate, Peas, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Minerals (Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Artichokes, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Tomato, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Parsley.
Ingredients We Liked: Rabbit, Pork, Pork Liver, Menhaden Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Ground Flaxseed, Peas, Carrots
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Uses a combination of muscle meat and organs
- Appropriate for cats with food sensitivities and allergies
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Thickened without carrageenan
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- A number of customers have complained about apparent bones and irregularities
#4 Instinct by Nature’s Variety Kitten Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe
This kitten food from Nature’s Instinct is made primarily from wholesome animal ingredients and is rich in the amino acids that help your kitten to thrive. The first ingredient is chicken, and it contains salmon as a natural source of DHA, a fatty acid with a role in brain and eye development.
This kitten recipe doesn’t contain any of the starches and plant protein that weigh your kitten down and create waste, but it does contain traces of cranberries, pumpkin, tomato, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and parsley.
Overall, however, this food is a low-carb option, with about 9% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. It is a little more expensive than many kitten foods, but it offers good nutritional quality.
Each 3 oz can contains 103 calories, which is about average for kitten food.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Salmon, Beef Liver, Egg Product, Dicalcium Phosphate, Tuna Fish Oil, Pumpkin, Tomato, Kale, Cabbage, Guar Gum, Broccoli, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Blueberries, Parsley, Salt, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement).
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in animal-based protein from chicken, beef, and salmon
- Soft canned food offers palatable texture and hydration
- Very low carbohydrate content
- Rich in DHA for healthy brain and eye development
What We Didn’t Like:
- A little more expensive than many kitten foods
- Doesn’t receive consistently positive customer reviews
What Do Customers Think of Nature’s Variety Instinct Cat Food?
Nature’s Variety foods are well-loved by customers.
The company is one of few that receives largely positive reviews on Consumer Affairs, a customer advocacy site with a definite negativity bias.
However, since the company changed its wet food manufacturing locations and started reformulating many of its recipes, it’s started to receive many complaints about irregularities in the food.
Here’s what a few customers have to say about Nature’s Variety cat food:
Positive Reviews
“The Instinct Original canned cat food looks and smells good enough for human consumption! The food is juicy and moist without being watery or gravy-like–all food. My cats are loving it (as well as the Kitten version for my 7 mo old.) They had no problem transitioning from another brand.” – Suze, reviewing Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe
“I have taken painful measures to find a food with no chicken or egg to help rule out allergies after trying another brand of skin sensitive food for 12 weeks to no avail. Was very happy to find this brand and all my feline friends who are indoor pets seem to love it. It is helping their coats improve and hopefully will improve their overall health. We have only been using Instinct for 4 weeks. We are just beginning. The only downside to novel protein foods is the $$$$$. Wish there were coupons. Not a big inventory at Pet Food stores either. Glad Chewy stocks so well.” – SmokeysMom, reviewing Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Rabbit Recipe
Negative Reviews
“The amount or inclusion at all of bone meal in pet food is another debate for another time but this is ridiculous. This is literally a choking hazard. Instinct is clearly going through something with their unannounced recipe changes, rabbit and venison are the only ones left with the old recipes. A lot of pet owners have relied on Instinct for chicken and fish free options which while more plentiful these days, are still hard to find. For the amount of money they’re charging I expect more than a potential surprise visit to the emergency vet for a lodged obstruction in their throat or a violent allergic reaction due to unannounced recipe changes. Do better Instinct.” – Beep, reviewing Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Rabbit Recipe Wet Canned Cat Food
“I’ve done tons of research of which canned food is good for my cats (I have two precious exotic shorthairs). So many pet food reviews say Instinct is one of the best—it’s not as expressive as Ziwi, but it’s definitely on the more expensive side. Anyway, long story short. I have two reservations about it: 1) my cats are not super interested in it; 2) above all, I saw giant peas in it—I don’t think cats need it and in my opinion veggies are worse than meat byproduct, as they are simply NOT what cats eat or need. Final thought: Sometimes I feel I should just go with the cheaper Fancy Feast Classic Chicken Pate. My cats like Fancy Feast and there’s no veggie in Fancy Feast Classic Chicken Pate.” – Eleni, reviewing Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
How Much Does Nature’s Variety Instinct Cat Food Cost?
Let’s break down how much it would cost per day to feed your cat’s Nature’s Variety. For the sake of this exercise, let’s say that your cat weighs 10 lbs and follows the feeding guidelines recommended by Nature’s Variety Instinct.
Nature’s Variety Instinct wet food would cost between $2.28 and $3.36 per day, depending on which variety you choose. Nature’s Variety dry food is significantly cheaper and would cost closer to $0.42 per day to feed the same cat. Their raw food is comparable to the canned recipes, adding up to roughly $2.30 to $3.35 per day.
All of their recipes, including their raw frozen formulas, are reasonably-priced and easy to find in stores. The brand is comparable in quality and price to Wellness CORE, except Nature’s Variety Instinct offers a wider selection of raw food.
Overall, Is Nature’s Variety Instinct a Good Choice?
Nature’s Variety cat food is a good option to consider if you’re looking for meat-centric, dye-free food. With a selection of limited-ingredient recipes and formulas focused on novel proteins, this brand is a promising choice for cats with food sensitivities and allergies.
Though the brand has been recalled a few times during a relatively short span of time, none of these recalls were associated with reports of illness. Nature’s Variety maintains a good reputation among customers and appears to be a reliable choice.
Where To Buy Nature’s Variety Instinct Cat Food?
Nature’s Variety cat food is sold by pet specialty retailers, including major chains like Petco and PetSmart. Click here to find a retailer near you. If you’d prefer to shop online, you’ll find Nature’s Variety cat food on Amazon, Chewy, Petco, and PetSmart.com.
I wish you would have went into more depth on the instinct raw food. But other than that you showed me that instinct is an alright brand.
Good point, Samuel—we usually go in-depth on the most popular varieties, and sometimes things get left out. I’m glad you found it helpful anyway.
Hello! We have been feeding our cat the chicken pate wet food for a few months and noticed in our most recent order the recipe has changed. There is no more turkey in the ingredient list (although the label still says it has turkey), and chicken liver is third instead of second. It is also no longer made in the US and is made in Thailand. Lastly they’ve added other vegetables to the recipe like kale, tomato, cabbage and pumpkin. The calorie content for one can went from 193kcal to 240kcal as well. Would you still rate this food the same grade given these changes?
Hi KJ, we’ve updated the ingredient list here. The food seems to have the same macronutrient composition as it did previously, but some customer reviews suggest that the new formulation is different enough to make cats no longer like it. Overall, it seems like it should be similar nutritionally, but we don’t know exactly how the quality of the ingredients compares to those in Nature’s Variety’s US-made food. In conclusion, I’ll give it the same grade, but tentatively.
I have been getting the chicken pate from Chewy for a number of years. I have found that there seems to be something strange with quality control. Some cans (by the case) have peas and carrots, and others do not. The latter also seems oilier. The two varieties also come in different types of cans — interior of some (with the peas and carrots) is white, the other looks like a regular can.
What is going on here? The order remains the same, the packaging looks the same, but the content is not the same.
That’s definitely concerning, Irene! With brands like Instinct that mass produce pet food it’s to be expected that there might be some minor differences from one lot to another. It sounds like you’re saying the product looks entirely different, however.
I found a few comments online from other customers noticing a change in the look of the product or the packaging when Nature’s Variety rebranded as Instinct in 2018. It sounds like the company was trying to use up the cans they had in stock which, if that’s the case, could account for the variation. I can’t be sure, of course, so if you want a more specific answer you may need to contact Instinct directly. Let us know what you find out!
Thanks, Kate. I do think it’s concerning, since if I am ordering something for a reason, I expect there to be consistency. Also, the extremely different can qualities make me concerned that some may not be BPA free – something that I was expecting from Instinct.
I would like to hear from a representative of the company about this – in a public forum. That would make me feel more comfortable about these variations.
I noted the lab reports…
The results alone are not constructive without proper interpretation…and context. Yet you put them out there to be read.
I did not appreciate that…
Now, since you have put them in your review, could you explain the breakdown, otherwise you leave this product as being quite harmful to cats., and a poor product.
Leslie, yes—this is 100% something we’re working on adding. I’m going to mention this comment in my next conversation with the site owner.
Perhaps you should have provided complete information in the first place, rather than lab results without context or interpretation.
Your site has caused me considerable worry, as well as time researching. I read your article, with the lab results, on the same day that my first order of Instinct arrived, for my cat.
I have spoken with the company today…
Hi there,
Do we know what the total carb content is for Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat (or any other recipe for that matter) in the current 2023 recipe?
Thanks!
Hello! I haven’t had it tested in 2023, but I’m reaching out to the company now to get updated carbohydrate content.
It’s 4.10% on a dry matter basis. Updating the article as well.
Is instinct not a good quality food … is there something I should be concerned about I recently started transitioning my girl because we found out she might have a sensitive stomach so I started her on the limited ingredient line but now I don’t know if I should continue
No, I think Instinct cat food is a perfectly good option, and their limited ingredient food seems like a great choice for a cat with that sort of sensitivity.
The food has completely changed. Don’t know why. Its greasy and doesn’t look the same. My moms cats don’t like it. And I just noticed for my cans they are not making this in Thailand and it used to be USA. I will continue to buy the freeze dried as that is USA made. But I am changing canned foods now. Natures Variety sold out in 2014 and now this new big company obviously is more concerned with $$$ so they moved production to Thailand. So sad. The food used to be great.
I also noticed this last case I bought was different. Also noticed it was made in Thailand. Have you noticed little white specks in yours? Curious to know what those little specs are
Not the person you replied to. But thought you might appreciate knowing what the white specs are. I got a variety pack of wet patés in June, and noticed those white specs (most notably in the Salmon cans.) I went to find out what that was, naturally. What you are seeing is most likely congealed fat/protein. Granted, as I haven’t seen a picture or have a can to view in person, I can’t 100% be sure, but it happens in cat foods sometimes, especially ones that don’t use thickeners or other preservatives (or lower amounts.) Ones that have higher amounts of meat/fat in the recipe often deal with this as well. If you’ve ever cooked a piece of salmon, you’ll have probably seen the white stuff on the fish after cooking. This is similar! So said white stuff is perfectly okay for the cats to eat.
It’s always worth it to be vigilant though, and if you suspect something like mold, the can may warrant examination. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some tests you can do if you feel concerned about mold.
You can:
1. Check for possible expiration. Smell it to see if it smells off/rancid and check the expiration date of the food.
2. See how the white spots are dispersed in the wet food. If the white stuff is dispersed throughout the paté, it’s probably fat. Mold is often more lopsided, and not so evenly dispersed/spread out (you might have a one big blotch. Or a big blotch and a couple smaller blotches, for example). Mold usually doesn’t dip into the food it is growing on, and will grow on top of the food. For example, you might have seen mold grow up strawberries at the super market before. It’ll be growing on the top of the berry, but if you cut into the strawberry in half, you won’t be finding mold in the middle of the strawberry.
3. Note any strange coloring or texture. Mold often can have a greenish or black coloring to it, (sure there are other colors that pop up too). Texture-wise, mold can be furry, and you can sometimes tilt the food to a different angle to see the little furry spores if they are difficult to see otherwise. Fat won’t be furry.
4. Shape. Mold usually spreads from its center colony mass. So their shape is usually round to some degree. Doesn’t have to be a perfect circle, but mold shapes tend to be circular/rounded. If it’s just fat, you can see other shapes like streaks and so on.
5. Heat it. Another test. you can do is take a sample of the wet food with the white specs on and put it in the microwave or heat it in a pan for a bit. Fat will melt/become transparent when it reaches its melting point. Mold isn’t going to melt like butter.
6. Check for consistency. You can open another can of the same recipe of food (one from another box or bought on another date/store would be preferable for comparison). You can always drive down to another pet food location and pick up another can. If what you have is mold (or even something else), it should be an exception, not the rule. If you open cans of the same food recipe with different production/expiration dates and retailers and see all these white specs consistently in all of them, it’s probably fat or something that is meant to be there as part of the recipe.
7. Email the company that makes the food with a photo and ask them if the specs you found are normal and see how they answer.
If, after all of these you still feel concerned, don’t trust the food, then just throw it out. There are so many cat food brands out there. If one makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel bad leaving it behind for another.
The Rabbit recipe has so much Carbs (30%+ is even higher than some kibble) and in your review you wrote “Cons: none”. And “Overall, this food is rich in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.” This food is also rated as A-. Why? I came to the website from your Youtube videos and I found some of them useful. But now I am worried about consistency of your standards.
I have also seen other places where on this website where the Carbs seems high in the charts but the food was rated as good.
Hello YJ, thanks for being here. It means a lot that you found some of our YouTube videos helpful enough that you’d come to the website. What you’re seeing is an ongoing problem with the way our nutrient charts are calculated. Our automated system is not complex enough to recognize anything but the guaranteed analysis when calculating nutrient content. It simply pulls the guaranteed analysis from retail sites and uses that information to both infer unlisted nutrients, like carbohydrates, and generate dry matter and percentage-of-calories values. Because the guaranteed analysis is simply a set of minimum and maximum values, these inferences will often differ from typical nutrient values. On the other hand, the review content is written by a human and based on research (and sometimes, lab testing), so the information there is based on complete nutrient analyses when possible. For example, you can see that their chicken wet food recipe was 0% carbohydrates in our lab test. And according to Chewy (presumably informed by the company), the rabbit recipe you mentioned has a carbohydrate content of 3.42% on a dry matter basis.
I realize that it’s very misleading to have such a discrepancy in the articles, so I’ve reached out to our team asking if we can at least add a disclaimer explaining what I’ve just told you, and we’ll see if there’s a better way to approach it in the future. – Mallory
Thanks for the clarification. I do like your videos and also the website is a good place for me when I want to see things clearer in details. But the content on the website here so far is not well prepared. Like in this case the charts and the written reviews are not communicating with or supporting each other instead in some cases seems confusing or contradicting if you didn’t give those explanations. If only the written reports were written by human, I would prefer to see more written explanation using the lab test or estimates you get from the guaranteed analysis there. Otherwirse most food reviews looked more or less the same, especially for wet food.
On the dry matter chart for the Real Rabbit flavor, did the fat and carbs get switched? That’s the only way I see to justify the numbers in the graphic with what is written in the rest of the review.
Hey Amanda, thanks for pointing that out. Unfortunately, we have an ongoing issue where our automatically-generated pie charts are not aligning with the text. As mentioned in the disclaimer now added to the bottom of every review, the values in our nutrient charts are automatically calculated based on the guaranteed analysis and may not represent typical nutrient values. This may lead to discrepancies between the charts and the values mentioned in the body of the review.
“Updated March 5, 2023” makes it look to the casual observer like your information is current. However, it does not reflect the changes in formula and processing location–for instance, the article still states that it is made in the US. My cat is one of many that hates the new formula, and I hate that they changed the ingredients significantly without indicating that to the customers. For many of us the whole reason we buy premium cat foods is because our pets are sensitive to certain ingredients.
Hi Siri, thanks for the comment, and I apologize for the late reply. I agree that it’s misleading—this date refers to any minor changes we’ve made on the page, but we haven’t yet completed a full update of this article. I just went through and made a few updates to reflect the changes you’ve mentioned, including the manufacturing location, formulation changes, and recent complaints similar to your own.
Thanks! It’s hard when all changes are registered as updates whether they’re minor or reflect significant changes. For those of us affected by the Instinct reformulation, it’s been tricky to find information about the change beyond simple word of mouth from other customers.
Has this been updated? I bought this bag of food for $40 bucks today because I trusted this specific website and this article. I hope it’s low in carbs (the regular dry food, not the protein or rabbit diet food). I only want the best for my cat, regardless of price. Thank you.
Hi! While the charts still have information pulled directly from the guaranteed analysis, I can confirm that the food is 41% protein on an as-fed basis (45.05% on a dry matter basis), 21% fat on an as-fed basis (23.07% on a dry matter basis), and 14% carbohydrates on an as fed basis (15.38% on a dry matter basis).
I am EXTREMELY confused as to why a clearly lower quality food (Purina Beyond Chicken + Egg, full of plants and higher in carbohydrates, with only three “Pros”) has a B rating, whilst this one has a B- rating (with 6 “Pros” and one single “Con”)…
I have noticed so many inconsistencies with this website’s evaluations! The more I browse, the worse it gets.
I used to consider it a trustworthy source of unbiased and thorough reviews, but I’m quickly losing that trust.
Hi Giovana, thanks for mentioning this. Frankly, I can’t really give any excuse—the Cats.com Standard is rather broadly-defined, and whether it’s due to the same writer having a different subjective assessment one day than another or multiple writers having different interpretations of the Standard, this leads to occasional inconsistencies like this. We’ve written up a stricter Standard and are working on applying it to all of our content, but it is a work in progress. Overall, though, I think that the overall B grade for Instinct and B- for the Beyond line are accurate, though I agree that the product-specific assessments don’t quite align with the content.
You didn’t give them those grades, though.
You gave Instinct a B-, and Beyond got a B, despite having nearly 40% more carbohydrates and high plant content.
Hiya Mallory,
Thanks for your analyses and write-ups. I read them a lot 🙂
I was wondering if you can conduct an analysis for the one of the Ultimate Protein Line, Raw Boost and Limited Ingredient Dry food please?
Like to know how they compare vs the Original Instinct Dry Cat Food.
Thanks in Advance, cheers!
Hi! That’s a great idea—I’ll talk with the team about updating this review accordingly.
Also, if possible can you do a review to include the kibble+raw limited ingredient chicken dry food. I switched to THIS brand for dry kibble& I also add the raw boosters(digestion formula) to it, when my two Persian kittens turned 1years old bcuz they no longer need kitten formula & the brand I was feeding them (solid gold) was discounted at pet smart. I want to feed primarily wet food however the brand& type I’ve been feeding turns out to ONLY be a complementary & not a complete meal due to it being limited ingredient (applaws chicken w broth & chicken w/pumpkin& broth &/or the 2-4ingredienr formulas)-bcuz they have sensitive stomachs. I really miss the solid gold as the wet/can food had coconut oil that keep thier coats healthy, shiny& didn’t shed nearly as much as they do now nor matted… Soo the issue in having with the kibble+raw limited ingredient/grain free chicken formula is that it’s also inconsistent & I got a bag that had ZERO raw bits in it!!-i had to buy a bag of the raw to add to what I had already used& took the rest back to pet smart which they allowed me to trade it in for a new bag of the same which did have ‘some’ raw bits but for the price I think it’s ridiculous!-also, my other issue is how do I find a limited ingredient grain free wet food(not pate or chunks in gravy)-that’s easy for my Persian cats(face issues)& is there a better option out there that does have coconut oil or something that will help maintain healthier coats -please HELP as my house is so full of cat hair it’s unbelievable & my poor cats are getting matted causing them pain!-thank you Soo much for ALL the hard work& efforts you& your staff put into these reviews& responses!!
Furever Grateful ~MoSurfs73 ❤️ ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
Hi Monica! Sorry about the late reply, and I’m also sorry your kitties are left without their favorites and struggling with their fur so much! We will consider adding the raw blend kibble. In the meantime, you might appreciate our article on the best cat food for skin and coat health.
I’d like to think that Instinct is one of the better foods out there. I have been feeding this to my 2 cats for quite some time. They love the salmon dry and wet foods. My cat was sick for a while before she got a surgery and wasn’t eating well, and Instinct was the only one she was eating with appetite. I hope I won’t find major changes and surprises as other negative reviews mentioned, and I hope they keep the good quality.
You said this was one of the 4 top brands you tested….but I am not seeing that when I look at your other articles on testing. Curious as to what the other 3 brands are and if you still stand by this being in the top 4. With the processing being in Thailand now instead of the US I feel that is a concern. Incidently I am noticing people food that was once processed in the US is not being processed in Thailand too ….their standards are not the same. I will not buy the people food that is now processed in Thailand and am thinking it does not bode well for pet food either.