Review SummaryOur Final VerdictWe give Natures Variety Instinct Cat Food a rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 stars. Check Price on Chewy Check Price on AmazonNatures Variety is the brand behind Instinct cat foods, available as wet canned food, dry kibble, and toppers. Its inspiration is knowing that raw diets have the potential to provide your cat with many different health benefits. Its taken that inspiration and created freeze-dried toppers and dry kibble coated with a freeze-dried coating.This private company is based in the Midwest of the U.S.A. and has a wide range of grain- and gluten-free cat foods.If youre looking for a cat food brand that uses raw feeding principles but provides convenient and easy-to-feed traditional canned foods and kibbles, then youre going to love Natures Variety! If youre ready to find out everything you need to know about this brand, keep reading as we spill all the details.At a Glance: The Best Instinct Cat Food Recipes: Image Product Details Our Favorite Natures Variety Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Pt Recipe Contains 10% protein Low in carbohydrates No meat by-products CHECK PRICE Natures Variety Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken Contains 41% protein Chicken as the first ingredient Probiotics and antioxidants CHECK PRICE Natures Variety Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Digestive Heal Easy to feed Contains 36% protein No by-products CHECK PRICE Natures Variety Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Pate Real Turkey R Made free of chicken, beef, fish Proudly made in the USA Formulated with vitamins and minerals CHECK PRICE Natures Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken & Freez Balanced mix of poultry, fish and meat Free from grains, potato, corn, wheat and soy Made in the USA CHECK PRICE Instinct Cat Food Reviewed Check Price on Chewy Check Price on AmazonWho Makes Natures Variety and Where Is It Produced?Natures Variety has its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. It is now owned by the Spanish company Agrolimen.Its Instinct line is made in the U.S.A., using ingredients sourced from around the world. It sources some ingredients from France, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia. It doesnt source any poultry or meat from China.All of Natures Variety dry recipes are manufactured in the United States. Wet recipes are produced by reputable co-packers located in Kansas and Thailand.Which Types of Pets Is Natures Variety Best Suited For?Natures Variety is perfect for cats on a grain-free or gluten-free diet. All of its recipes prioritize the use of whole-food ingredients without artificial ingredients or bulking out using fillers.The Natures Variety Instinct products that weve reviewed here contain high levels of protein and plenty of nutrients and are as close to a raw diet as youll find in a long-life cat food. If you like the idea of feeding raw but dont want to make it yourself or have to keep pre-packaged cat food in the refrigerator, then this is the best alternative.If your cat has allergies, Natures Variety also offers a limited-ingredient diet, using just one source of animal protein and one vegetable. Hepper NomNom - Spill Proof Elevated Cat Bowl NO MESS - The 360 tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking... Check Price on Amazon Feeding your cat a high-quality diet is important for keeping them healthy and happy. But it goes beyond the food you choose; the dishes they use also matter. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite for its unique, five-star design that protects from whisker fatigue and promotes good posture which also aids in better digestion. As an added bonus, its beautifully crafted and offers a modern take on the traditional cat bowl that fits seamlessly with all home stylings. Learn more about the NomNom by clicking here.At Catster, weve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!Which Types of Pets Might Do Better With a Different Brand?If youd prefer to feed your cat a food with grains, then unfortunately, youll find that all of Natures Variety Instinct line is grain free. If youd prefer a cat food with grain, then you might prefer to try something like the Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food.Discussion of the Primary IngredientsLets take a look at the main ingredients used in Natures Variety Instinct cat foods.Real MeatAll Natures Variety Instinct recipes include at least 70% animal-based protein. Sometimes this is a single source, and other times, it is from a variety of proteins. Natures Variety uses chicken, turkey, duck, salmon, and rabbit in its recipes.Wholesome Fruits and VegetablesEach Natures Variety Instinct recipe is supplemented by a blend of fruits and vegetables designed to add fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial ingredients to your cats diet.Benefits of Raw FeedingRaw diets provide a high level of nutrition to your cat. But they can also use up a large amount of storage space and can be expensive. Natures Variety has bridged the gap between the convenience of kibble and canned food and the unrivaled nutritional benefits of raw feeding.Certain Recipes Include AllergensWhile Natures Variety Instinct does offer a range of limited-ingredient diet recipes geared toward cats with allergies, a few of its other recipes do contain common allergens like peas, eggs, and chicken.A Quick Look at Natures Variety Instinct Cat FoodPros Uses real meat as the first ingredient in all its recipes Offers kibble, canned food, and toppers Grain-free Some recipes are suitable for cats with allergies Free from artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors Easy to digest High in proteinCons A few recipes contain allergens, like peas or egg ExpensiveInstinct Cat Food Recall HistoryNatures Variety has had a couple of recalls. In 2015, it recalled a few chicken-based recipes after FDA testing showed that there was salmonella contamination. That same year, they also recalled a few recipes due to contamination with plastic. In 2012, it issued another voluntary recall but this was for dog food. In 2010, they recalled a few raw foods made with chicken, due to fears that it was contaminated with salmonella.If you want to keep an eye on future recalls, you can check for recalls and withdrawals on our recalls pageReviews of the 3 Best Instinct Cat Food RecipesLets take a look at three popular Natures Variety Instinct recipes in a bit more detail.1. Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Pt Recipe Canned Wet Food Check Price on Chewy Check Price on AmazonThe first three ingredients in this wet canned food are chicken, turkey, and chicken liver, which give us a clue that this is a high-quality canned food containing plenty of animal protein. In fact, real meat makes up 95% of this recipes contents, with the remaining 5% being fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and other beneficial ingredients.This palatable pt-style canned food also contains a high moisture content of 78%, helping your cat stay hydrated and healthy. Its rich in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to keep your cats skin and coat looking and feeling in top condition. This doesnt contain any meat by-products, grains, soy, potatoes, wheat, or corn.Calorie Breakdown:Pros Contains 10% protein Real meat as the first three ingredients Contains no meat by-products Low in carbohydratesCons Above-average cost2. Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Cat Food Check Price on Chewy Check Price on AmazonWith 81% of this dry kibble being made up of real animal protein, you can be sure this will provide plenty of high-quality nutrition, combined with the convenience of kibble. The remaining 19% of the ingredients are made up of wholesome fruits, vegetables, and beneficial nutrients.This kibble uses an innovative process, where raw ingredients are freeze-dried to remove moisture but lock in all the nutrients. This freeze-dried raw food is then crumbled to create a covering for the kibble, making sure your cat gets the benefit of raw food in every bite. This kibble promotes healthy digestion and helps your cat thrive from the inside out.Calorie Breakdown:Pros Contains 41% protein Chicken as the first ingredient Contains probiotics and antioxidants Includes a raw, freeze-dried coatingCons Contains meat meal Contains peas, which can trigger allergies3. Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Digestive Health Cat Food Topper Check Price on Chewy Check Price on AmazonThis raw boost mixer allows you to top your cats kibble with the benefits of raw food. This particular recipe contains a blend of ingredients to help promote a healthy digestive system. As well as cage-free chicken as the first ingredient, this also contains healthy fiber from pumpkins and sweet potatoes, as well as apple cider vinegar and natural probiotics.This is super simple to feed, as theres no need to add water or rehydrate this freeze-dried food, so you can simply feed it as is. Its designed to be complementary rather than a complete feed, so make sure you feed it alongside a balanced wet food or kibble. You can feed between 13 tablespoons per day, depending on the weight of your cat. This also makes a great treat!Calorie Breakdown:Pros Contains 36% protein Contains no by-products Easy to feed Real chicken is the first ingredientCons Contains coloringWhat Other Users Are Saying All About Cats: Natures Variety maintains a good reputation among customers and appears to be a reliable choice. Amazon: As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.ConclusionNatures Variety Instinct cat foods combine all the benefits of feeding a raw diet with the ease of feeding kibble or canned food. It uses high-quality ingredients, with a focus on real meat as the primary base for all its recipes.While Natures Variety did have a couple of recalls in the past, their recent record is squeaky clean. All Natures Variety cat foods are made in the U.S.A., using a blend of ingredients sourced from around the world.As a company with a good reputation for using high-quality ingredients, as well as bringing the real nutrition of raw food to more of us cat owners than ever before, Natures Variety Instinct comes highly recommended both by us and thousands of happy customers. As we all know, if our cats are happy, then were happy!Featured Image Credit: Natures Variety Instinct, Chewy