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Instinct vs I and Love and You

Instinct vs. I and Love and You

In this comparison article for Instinct vs I and Love and You, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct and I and Love and You, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this I and Love and You vs Instinct comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Instinct Review Page or I and Love and You Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: I and Love and You vs. Instinct

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Instinct Dog Food vs. I and Love and You Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Crude Protein36.2%33.8%
Crude Fat24.1%15.4%
Crude Fiber4.4%5.0%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Crude Protein42.1%42.1%
Crude Fat27.7%18.1%
Crude Fiber10.0%5.5%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

According to our data, Instinct guarantees 2.44% more protein than I and Love and You. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, Instinct and I and Love and You provide roughly the same amount of protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Instinct provides significantly more fat. On average, Instinct guarantees about 8.79% more protein than I and Love and You. Similarly, Instinct wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than I and Love and You wet foods.


Instinct and I and Love and You both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct provides more fiber (about 4.43% more).

Instinct Cat Food vs. I and Love and You Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Crude Protein43.7%43.0%
Crude Fat25.4%15.9%
Crude Fiber3.7%4.7%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Crude Protein47.1%45.4%
Crude Fat25.0%18.2%
Crude Fiber8.6%5.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude protein content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Instinct and I and Love and You also provide roughly the same amount of crude protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
  • Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

The comparison table above shows that Instinct dry cat foods provide significantly more fat than I and Love and You. More specifically, Instinct guarantees at least 9.43% more fat. For wet cat foods, Instinct provides more fat (about 6.75% more).


Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.52% more).

Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. I and Love and You Pet Food Ingredients

Instinct and I and Love and You both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Garlic
Canola Oil
Pea Protein
Dried Tomato Pomace
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Instinct.

Tomato Pomace
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by I and Love and You.

Powdered Cellulose

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Instinct and I and Love and You both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by I and Love and You.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex
Menadione Sodium Disulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Instinct & I and Love and You?

Instinct has been recalled 2 times.

  • July 24, 2015: Salmonella
  • Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag

I and Love and You has been recalled once.

  • July 14, 2015: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Per Pound$8.93$6.91
Per Calorie$0.0044$0.0043
Dry Cat FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Per Pound$11.49$3.67
Per Calorie$0.0057$0.0023
Wet Dog FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Per Pound$6.31$5.15
Per Calorie$0.0107$0.0078
Wet Cat FoodInstinctI and Love and You
Per Pound$8.87$7.28
Per Calorie$0.0179$0.0170

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Instinct or I and Love and You, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Instinct or I and Love and You will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Instinct and I and Love and You. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Instinct Pet Foods

You can purchase Instinct pet foods from the following stores:


84 Recipes In-Stock Today

59 Recipes In-Stock Today

67 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy I and Love and You Pet Foods

You can purchase I and Love and You pet food products from these retailers:


50 Recipes In-Stock Today

43 Recipes In-Stock Today

39 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductInstinctI and Love and You
Dry Dog Food37 Recipes11 Recipes
Wet Dog Food10 Recipes6 Recipes
Dog TreatsNone11 Treats
Dry Cat Food20 Recipes7 Recipes
Wet Cat Food16 Recipes12 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone2 Treats

Top Rated Instinct Recipes

Dog Food
Instinct
Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
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Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe
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Cat Food
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Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
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Cat Food
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Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe
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Top Rated I and Love and You Recipes

Dog Food
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Naked Essentials Grain Free With Lamb + Bison
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Dog Food
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Wet Dog Food Gobble It Up Stew
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Cat Food
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Naked Essentials Grain Free With Salmon + Trout
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Cat Food
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Wet Cat Food Oh My Cod! Pate
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