Instinct Pet Food Review

Made by Nature's Variety in US.

Average score: 85/100 across 128 pet food products.

Raw and freeze-dried specialist (Nature's Variety's primary line).

Top Instinct products

1. Instinct FreshDried Meal Blends Adult Freeze-Dried Dog Food - Beef & Wild Berry — 100/100
2. Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Alaskan Pollock — 100/100
3. Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Alaskan Pollock 7+ — 100/100
4. Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Beef — 100/100
5. Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Lamb — 100/100

All Instinct products (128)

• Instinct® Healthy Cravings Cat Food Topper - Natural, Grain Free, Duck — 100/100
• Instinct® Healthy Cravings Cat Food Topper - Natural, Grain Free, Rabbit — 100/100
• Instinct® Healthy Cravings Cat Food Topper - Natural, Grain Free, Variety Pack — 100/100
• Instinct® Raw Bites Adult Frozen Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Beef — 100/100
• Instinct® Raw Bites Adult Frozen Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Lamb — 100/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Mixers Freeze-Dried All Life Stages Dog Food Topper - Raw, Grain Free, Beef — 99/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Mixers Multivitamin Freeze-Dried Adult Dog Food Topper - Raw, Grain Free, Beef — 98/100
• Instinct® All Life Stage Wet Cat Food - Grain Free, Pate, 5.5 oz — 98/100
• Instinct® Original All Life Stages Wet Dog Food - Grain Free — 98/100
• Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe — 98/100
• Instinct Ultimate Protein Real Chicken Recipe — 98/100
• Instinct® All Life Stage Wet Cat Food - Grain Free, Variety Count, 12 ct. — 98/100
• Instinct® All Life Stage Wet Cat Food - Grain Free, Variety pack, 12 ct — 98/100
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Beef — 97/100
• Instinct FreshDried Meal Blends Adult Freeze-Dried Dog Food - Chicken & Harvest Blend — 96/100
• Instinct® Grain Free Minced Cat Food - Natural, Chicken — 96/100
• Instinct® Grain Free Minced Cat Food - Natural, Rabbit — 96/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Beef for Small Breed — 96/100
• Instinct® Adult Wet Cat Food - Flaked Entrée, 3 oz. — 96/100
• raw meals:puppy — 95/100
• Raw Boost Mixers — 95/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Cat Food - Natural, Grain Free, Freeze Dried Raw, Chicken — 95/100
• Instinct® All Life Stage Wet Cat Food - Grain Free, Pate, 3 oz — 95/100
• Instinct® RawBoost Whole Grain Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw Gut Health All Life Stages Dry Dog Food — 95/100
• Instinct Chicken Recipe — 95/100
• Instinct® Original Cat Food - Natural, Grain Free, Chicken — 95/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Chicken Small Breed — 94/100
• Instinct Wet Cat Food - Split Cup, Pate, Grain-Free — 94/100
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken — 94/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Chicken — 94/100
• Instinct Be Natural Real Salmon and Brown Rice — 94/100
• Instinct Freshly Crafted Meals Adult Wet Dog Food - 11 oz — 94/100
• Instinct® RawBoost Whole Grain Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stage Dry Dog Food - Beef & Barley — 94/100
• Instinct Freshly Crafted Meals Adult Wet Dog Food Variety Pack - Beef, Chicken, & Pork, 6 ct — 94/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw Small Breed All Life Stages Dry Dog Food - Chicken — 93/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw Small Breed All Life Stage Dry Dog Food - Beef — 93/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stage Dry Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Chicken — 92/100
• Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken and Brown Rice — 92/100
• Instinct LID Grain Free Recipe with Real Lamb — 92/100
• Instinct® Adult Wet Cat Food - Flaked, Variety Pack, 12 ct., 2.2 Lb. — 92/100
• Instinct® Healthy Cravings All Life Stage Dog Food Topper - Beef/Chicken/Lamb Variety Pack, 12 Count — 92/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stages Dry Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Beef — 92/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stages Dry Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Salmon — 92/100
• Instinct® Limited Ingredient Diet Cat Food - Grain Free, Turkey — 91/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Real Chicken and Brown Rice — 90/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Real Chicken and Brown Rice Puppy — 90/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Recipe Light with Real Chicken and Brown Rice — 90/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Chicken for Gut Health — 90/100
• Instinct® Original Cat Food - Natural, Grain Free, Salmon — 89/100
• Instinct® Be Natural ™ All Life Stages Dry Dog Food - Lamb & Oatmeal — 89/100
• Instinct® Limited Ingredient Cat Food - Grain Free, Rabbit — 89/100
• Instinct® RawBoost Whole Grain Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stage Dry Dog Food - Salmon & Rice — 89/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Wild-Caught Alaskan Pollock Recipe — 88/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Mixers® Gut Health All Life Stages Dog Food Topper - Grain Free, Freeze-Dried — 88/100
• Instinct® RawBoost Mixers Digestive Health Cat Food Topper - Natural, Grain Free — 88/100
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon — 87/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Salmon — 87/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 86/100
• Instinct® Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food - Natural, Grain Free — 86/100
• Instinct® RawBoost Whole Grain Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw Light Recipe All Life Stages Dry Dog Food — 86/100
• Instinct® Ultimate Protein® Cat Food - Grain Free, High Protein, Chicken — 86/100
• Instinct LID Grain Free Recipe with Real Salmon — 84/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 83/100
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meal Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 83/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken — 83/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 83/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Adults 7+ — 83/100
• Instinct® Grain Free Kitten Food - Natural, Chicken — 80/100
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Rabbit Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Original Puppy Real Chicken Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Original Real Beef Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Original Real Beef Recipe Small Breed — 80/100
• Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe Small Breed — 80/100
• Instinct Original Real Rabbit Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Lamb and Oatmeal — 80/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Real Beef and Barley — 80/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Real Salmon and Brown Rice — 80/100
• Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Recipe with Real Chicken for Gut Health — 80/100
• Instinct Ultimate Protein Real Beef Recipe — 80/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Grass-Fed Beef & Wild Caught Cod Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Bites Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Adults 7+ — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Puppies — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Raw Frozen Patties Wild-Caught Alaskan Pollock Recipe — 79/100
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meal Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe — 77/100
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meal Real Beef Recipe — 77/100
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meals Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Puppies — 77/100
• Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meals Wild-Caught Alaskan Pollock Recipe — 77/100
• Instinct® Raw Meals Freeze-Dried Adult Cat Food - Grain Free, Chicken — 77/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Puppies — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Bites Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Bites Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Bites Wild-Caught Alaskan Pollock Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Medallions Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Medallions Cage-Free Turkey Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Medallions Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Patties Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Frozen FreshRaw Patties Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 76/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Beef 7+ — 74/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Beef and Cod — 74/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken 7+ — 74/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Puppies — 74/100
• Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit — 74/100
• Instinct FreshRaw Meals Cage-Free Chicken Recipe — 72/100
• Instinct FreshRaw Meals Cage-Free Turkey Recipe — 72/100
• Instinct FreshRaw Meals Grass-Fed Beef Recipe — 72/100
• Instinct FreshRaw Meals Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe — 72/100
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit — 72/100
• Instinct LID Grain Free Recipe with Real Turkey — 57/100
• Instinct Be Natural Real Beef and Barley — 54/100
• Instinct Be Natural Real Lamb and Oatmeal — 54/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost® Whole Grain Kibble + Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stages Dry Dog Food - Chicken — 53/100
• Instinct® Raw Meals Freeze-Dried Puppy Dry Dog Food - Raw, Grain Free, Chicken — 50/100
• Instinct® Raw Boost Mixers® Skin & Coat Health All Life Stages Dog Food Topper - Raw, Grain Free — not scored
• Instinct® RawBoost Mixers Skin & Coat Health Cat Food Topper - Natural, Grain Free, Freeze Dried — not scored
• Instinct® Rawboost Mixers® Cat Food Toppers - Natural, Grain Free, Freeze Dried, Chicken — not scored

Frequently asked questions

Who makes Instinct pet food?

Instinct is manufactured by Nature's Variety.

Where is Instinct made?

Instinct pet food is made in US.

When was Instinct founded?

Instinct was founded in 2002.

Is Instinct WSAVA-aligned?

Instinct is not on our WSAVA-aligned shortlist. That doesn't automatically mean the food is poor quality — many strong brands haven't pursued WSAVA recognition — but it means we lack independent confirmation of feeding-trial validation and on-staff veterinary nutritionist staffing.

Has Instinct ever been recalled?

No Instinct products match any FDA recall in our tracked feed. Two caveats worth stating plainly: our feed covers FDA recall notices from late 2025 onward, so a recall older than that would not appear here; and brand matching is deliberately conservative, so a recall naming a parent company or a co-manufacturer rather than Instinct itself may not be linked. For a definitive answer, check the FDA's own recall database.

How does Instinct score in our analysis?

Instinct averages 85/100 across 128 products in our catalog. Individual product scores combine ingredient quality, AAFCO compliance, and controversial-additive severity. See the methodology page for the full algorithm.

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