Nature’s Variety is a pet food company known for making natural and raw pet food products for cats and dogs. If you are considering introducing your cat to natural or raw food, Nature’s Variety Instinct may be the brand for you.
To help guide you in picking the best food for your cat, we created this Instinctcat food review of their top-rated foods available on Chewy or Amazon websites.
Nature’s Variety is owned by Agrolimen – a company based in Barcelona, Spain. The brand’s manufacturing facilities are all owned by the company. All of Nature’s Variety Instinct’s frozen and freeze dried raw foods are made in their Lincoln, Nebraska facilities. Their wet and dry foods are made in Kansas. Their headquarters is based in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Instinct recipes are developed by an in-house team of vets, veterinarian nutritionists, and food scientists. All of their products are preserved naturally. The dry products are preserved with mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), rosemary, and citric acid. Instinct Raw and Raw Signature products are frozen, while their wet food products are canned.
Instinct’s cat food lineup now spans a wide range of raw, freeze-dried, dry and wet nutrition options. Its raw offerings include FreshDried Raw Meals, which are shelf-stable freeze-dried raw meals, and FreshDried Patés, which can be rehydrated to create a soft pâté-style meal. The brand also offers Raw Boost, which combines high-protein kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces, along with Raw Boost+ Mixers and Shakers for adding raw nutrition to your cat’s regular food.
For dry food, Instinct offers Original, Ultimate Protein and Limited Ingredient Diet recipes. Original features grain-free kibble coated with freeze-dried raw, Ultimate Protein focuses on high levels of real-animal protein and Limited Ingredient Diet recipes use simplified ingredient lists with a single animal protein and vegetable to accommodate cats with food sensitivities.
Its wet food selection includes Original Patés, Flaked Entrées, Minced Cups, Split Cups Patés, Limited Ingredient Diet Patés and Healthy Cravings pouches, giving cat parents a variety of textures and serving formats to choose from. Instinct also offers additional meal toppers and complementary products, making it easy to add more raw-inspired nutrition to a cat’s daily diet.
Instinct Cat Food Review
1. Original Real Chicken Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
This high-protein recipe is built to nourish your cat from the inside out.
Cage-free chicken leads the ingredient list, giving your cat a strong dose of animal protein for lean, healthy muscle.
The formula is made up of 81% real animal ingredients and oils, rounded out by 19% fruits, vegetables and other whole-food ingredients.
There's no grain, potato, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, artificial color or preservative in the mix, so you know exactly what you're feeding your cat.
Every serving includes guaranteed levels of live probiotics for digestion, natural omegas for a soft coat, and antioxidants to support the immune system.
It's made in the USA with ingredients sourced globally, giving cats the real, grain-free nutrition they're instinctively drawn to.
This kibble is built to bring the benefits of a raw diet into a convenient, everyday format, and it delivers one of the highest levels of animal protein you'll find in dry cat food.
Real cage-free duck, chicken and eggs make up 90% of the protein here, all coming straight from whole animal sources rather than meal.
The grain-free formula is designed for easy digestion and strong nutrient absorption, so your cat gets more out of every bite.
Live probiotics support digestion, natural omegas help keep skin and coat healthy, and antioxidants back up the immune system.
As with the rest of the line, you won't find grains, potatoes, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, artificial colors or preservatives anywhere in the bag.
Pros
Zero grains or gluten
Multi-protein formula
High quality protein source
Ideal kibble size
Promotes better fur and skin health
Cons
Pricey
Contains chicken, allergic pets beware
3. Raw Boost Real Salmon Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, White Fish Meal, Peas, Herring Meal
This recipe blends high-protein kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces for a mix of everyday convenience and raw nutrition.
It's made at Instinct's own facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, and combines wild-caught salmon and real meat with the benefits of raw feeding.
Everything is minimally processed and freeze-dried to hold onto nutrients and flavor.
Omega fatty acids and antioxidants from select fruits and vegetables support healthy skin, a shiny coat and a strong immune system, while live probiotics are added in to help digestion along the way.
It's grain-free and built on high-quality ingredients, giving cats the perks of raw nutrition in a regular bowl of kibble.
Pros
High in protein
Healthy skin and coat
No soy, corn or wheat
Supports digestive health
Wild caught salmon is top ingredient
Cons
Too crumbly
Kibble bits are way too large for seniors and kittens
This pâté is built for cats with food sensitivities or allergies, offering simple nutrition without giving up flavor.
It uses just one animal protein and one vegetable, starting with farm-raised rabbit, a protein that's both flavorful and easy on sensitive stomachs.
The smooth texture is rounded out with essential vitamins and minerals for complete, balanced nutrition.
It skips common allergens like chicken, beef, fish, dairy, eggs, grain, potato, corn, wheat and soy, making it a gentle option for cats who need a more restricted diet.
This recipe is designed to support kittens through one of the most critical stages of their growth.
Real chicken, beef liver and salmon come together for a mix of poultry, fish and meat that gives kittens variety and early exposure to different protein sources.
It's free of gums, grains, potatoes, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meals, artificial colors and preservatives, keeping the nutrition clean and straightforward.
Natural DHA is added in to support healthy brain and eye development, giving kittens a solid start.
Pros
Easy to digest
Locally made (US)
Recyclable packaging
95% animal protein
No guar gum or carrageenan
Cons
Varying textures
Notable recipe change
6. Minced Cups Tuna Entree
First 5 ingredients:
Fish Broth, Tuna, Pork Liver, Natural Flavor, Egg Product
This topper is designed to support healthy skin and coat with real, functional ingredients.
Cage-free chicken leads the mix, joined by wild-caught cod, salmon oil, cranberries and chia seeds, all sources of the omegas that help keep skin soft and coats shiny.
The pieces are minimally processed, never cooked, and gently freeze-dried to remove moisture while keeping the raw nutrients and flavor intact.
It skips grains, wheat, soy, potato, artificial flavors and preservatives, making it a clean, protein-rich addition to any bowl.
A spoonful is an easy way to add some raw nutrition to your cat's regular meals.
This meal is built for scoop-and-serve convenience while still delivering serious raw nutrition.
As part of Instinct's Raw Meals line, it's said to pack in three times more real meat and organs than their Original Kibble.
About 95% of the recipe comes from fish, meat and organs, including freeze-dried wild-caught Alaskan pollock, with guaranteed protein and fat levels of 44% and 32% to help build lean muscle, strong bones and a healthy coat.
The gentle freeze-drying process locks in nutrients while making the food easier to digest.
It's free of artificial colors, preservatives, grains, corn, wheat, soy and legumes, keeping the ingredient list focused on what your cat actually needs.
This freeze-dried meal is built around complete, balanced nutrition in every bite.
It's made with 85% protein-rich, cage-free chicken and 15% non-GMO fruits and vegetables, giving cats the animal protein they need to support lean muscle, strong bones and everyday energy.
The gentle freeze-drying process helps hold onto the nutrients found in raw ingredients, resulting in a nutrient-dense meal that supports healthy skin, a shiny coat and overall wellness.
It's free of grains, corn, wheat, soy, legumes, artificial colors and preservatives, so there's nothing unnecessary filling up the bag.
Made in the USA, it offers an easy way to feed raw without the extra prep.
This freeze-dried meal offers a savory, protein-packed alternative to traditional canned wet food.
Pollock, beef and nutrient-dense organs like beef spleen, liver and kidney provide high-quality protein and nutrients to support everyday health.
Whole-food ingredients like carrots, apples, butternut squash, ground flaxseed and salmon oil round out the recipe with added vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, all preserved through gentle freeze-drying instead of high heat.
Simply add water or broth to create a smooth, customizable pâté texture that even picky eaters tend to enjoy, while boosting your cat's moisture intake.
It's an easy way to bring the benefits of raw feeding to daily meals without the mess or waste that can come with canned food.
Pros
Easy to prepare
Extra flavor and hydration
Less mess and leftovers
Gentle on the stomach
No carrageenan
Cons
Unusual smell
Consistency too lumpy for some
Takeaway
This review has proven that Nature’s Variety Instinct deserves their reputation of being one of the highest quality cat food brands in the market. With all of their cat foods having real animal protein as the first ingredient, you are sure to find a variant that is best suited for your feline friend.
The ingredients are all high quality meat such as cage-free chicken and farm-raised rabbits. All of their cat foods are free from grains, wheat, soy, corn, and potatoes. The brand does not use artificial enhancers such as flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Their wet foods are free from carrageenan. The plant-based ingredients are all healthy and rich in nutrients. You can rest assured that your cat is getting only nutritious meals.
Their cat foods have received great reviews regarding the health benefits they have given to numerous cats. From healthier skin and coats, to regulating weights, to higher energy levels. Many pets seemed to have thrived on their cat foods, especially those with food sensitivities.
Cats who have food allergies or sensitive stomachs have been given relief from symptoms such as skin problems, diarrhea, and vomiting. Their conditions have significantly improved or were completely resolved. Nature’s Variety Instinct foods has been called a life saver more than once by cat parents.
All these benefits do come with a higher price. Their cat foods cost more than the average food. However, many feel that the extra cost is worth all the health benefits and possibly the vet bills they are able to save on.
Based on ingredient quality, results delivered, reviews from cat parents, and cost, Nature’s Variety Instinct is overall a highly recommended brand of cat food. They offer a variety of choices to those who wish to introduce raw food into their cat’s diet.
They are likely to have some of the best foods available for kitties with food sensitivities or those who just seek a high protein, high quality food to keep their cats healthy and happy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Nature’s Variety Instinct cat foods ever been recalled?
Yes. In 2010, some chicken-based raw food from Nature’s Variety Instinct were recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. 2015 saw a recall for some of their chicken-based products due to salmonella. Another recall was issued that year due to pieces of plastic found in some products. No recall has been issued for their cat foods since.
Is Instinct good cat food?
Instinct Raw Boost Chicken is one of the top 5 choices for best dry cat food overall for most reviewers. Here's a few important points: Packed with high-quality meat ingredients. Utilizes some organ meat for extra protein and nutrients.
Who owns instinct food?
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.
Is Instinct Raw cat food good?
Instinct is a high-quality cat food brand offering superior products at a relatively affordable price. Instinct's original dry cat food is also high in meat-based protein and low in carbohydrates for a dry cat food. It even contains a bit of freeze-dried raw meat in the kibble recipe for an extra boost.
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