Instinct (previously known as Natures Variety Instinct) brand to me is a bit of a heart-break story. I began purchasing and feeding my cats then "Instinct" frozen raw food about 15 years ago. When I began using their brand and supporting their company, they only made frozen raw food diets, which I loved they didn't even offer anything of lesser quality like canned or dried foods.
Over the years however, the brand has grown exponentially and they have in my opinion, "sold-out" in a big way as they are now offering kibble, canned foods of low quality, and they even now offer a lower protein, lower quality raw food option instead of holding onto the integrity to only offer top rate health promoting products.
Regardless how I feel of the companies moral decisions however, the Instinct line of foods DO still offer one good frozen raw food option for dogs and cats, and in the dog variety they offer multiple different proteins. For cats however, they sadly now only offer three different proteins, which is a big reason why I never recommend their food any longer to my cat-parents, because I never want people to get stuck in the rut of only feeding a couple of different proteins versus the 4-5 different protein rotations our pet's really need. However, cat parents can effectively and healthfully feed their cats the Instinct brand as long as it is rotated with another brands alternating proteins.
Bottom line is, if you want to purchase Natures Variety Instinct brand for your cat or dog here is what to look for:
They offer 2 different "levels" of raw formulas, one with higher protein and one with lower protein.
Opt for the higher protein for the best health for your pet.
For cats - must also feed another brand to get the optimal 4-5 different protein rotations
Also for cats, do not feed the beef/cod protein more than 2X per week
Check out their products online @ https://instinctpetfood.com
