Instinct Cat Food Ingredients
According to our research, Instinct manufactures 62 cat food recipes using 173 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Instinct, we've studied all 173 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Instinct ingredients.
| Cat Food Recipes | 62 |
| Unique Ingredients | 173 |
| Artificial Colors | 0 |
| Animal By-Products | 0 |
| Anonymous Meats | 0 |
| Controversial | 4 |
| Harmful | 1 |
First 5 Ingredients
Cat food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.
For Instinct, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.
- chicken
- chicken liver
- chicken liver
- pea
- ground flaxseed
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Instinct is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken liver, followed by chicken liver, pea, and ground flaxseed.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Instinct does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 62 Instinct cat foods contain artificial food dyes.
Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.
In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most cats consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.
To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.
Animal By-Products
According to our records, Instinct does not contain any animal by-products.
Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.
Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Instinct have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).
For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.
Anonymous Meat Ingredients
Anonymous meats are inexpensive low-quality ingredients that can come from practically any animal. These type of ingredients are often used to produce very inexpensive cat foods.
In general, we prefer ingredients which specify the animal source used to derive the ingredient. For example, ingredients such as duck fat are much better than animal fat or poultry fat.
In our analysis, we've looked through all 173 Instinct ingredients. According to our data, Instinct does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.
Cereal Grains
For cats, we typically recommend choosing a grain-free recipe. Cats are obligate carnivores and therefore grains are not species appropriate.
According to our data, Instinct cat food recipes do not contain grains. In other words, all recipes are grain-free.
Please note, kibble production requires a binding agent. Grains are commonly used for this purpose in cat food. When purchasing grain-free cat food, grains are often replaced with another starchy source. This is also not ideal.
To avoid grains and other starchy additions, consider feeding wet or frozen recipes.
Controversial Ingredients
In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.
Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce cat foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.
In our analysis, we've identified 4 controversial ingredients inside Instinct products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.
Dried tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.
The following recipes contain dried tomato pomace:
- Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
- Instinct Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
- Instinct Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Duck Recipe
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
- Instinct Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
- Instinct Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Kittens
- Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Farm-Raised Rabbit For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef For Adult 7+ Cats (Raw + Kibble)
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Kittens (Raw + Kibble)
Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.
The following recipes contain pea protein:
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid):
- Instinct Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Duck Recipe
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Turkey
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
- Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
Potentially Harmful Ingredients
Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.
There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Instinct for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.
We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Instinct recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfite complex:
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
- Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
- Instinct Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
- Instinct Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
- Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Farm-Raised Rabbit For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
- Instinct Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef For Adult 7+ Cats (Raw + Kibble)
Instinct Cat Food Ingredient Lists
Instinct
Original
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
Instinct
Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
First Five Ingredients
duckturkey meal
chicken meal
chicken fat
pacific whiting meal
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
First Five Ingredients
salmon mealpea
tapioca
canola oil
salmon
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Turkey
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Turkey
First Five Ingredients
turkey mealpea
turkey
tapioca
canola oil
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
turkey meal
menhaden meal
chicken fat
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Kittens (Raw + Kibble)
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Cage-Free Chicken For Kittens (Raw + Kibble)
First Five Ingredients
chickenturkey meal
menhaden meal
pea
chicken fat
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grain-Free Recipe With Farm-Raised Rabbit For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Farm-Raised Rabbit For Adult Cats (Raw + Kibble)
First Five Ingredients
rabbitturkey meal
menhaden meal
chicken fat
whitefish meal
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef For Adult 7+ Cats (Raw + Kibble)
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef For Adult 7+ Cats (Raw + Kibble)
First Five Ingredients
beefturkey meal
whitefish meal
canola oil
herring meal
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickentapioca
chicken fat
ground flaxseed
natural flavor
Instinct
Raw Boost
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
Instinct
Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
First Five Ingredients
salmonmenhaden meal
whitefish meal
pea
herring meal
Instinct
Raw Boost
Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
Instinct
Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
salmon meal
pea
menhaden meal
Instinct
Raw Boost
Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
Instinct
Raw Boost Indoor Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
First Five Ingredients
rabbitturkey meal
salmon meal
menhaden meal
chickpea
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Cage-Free Duck Recipe
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Duck Recipe
First Five Ingredients
duckchicken
egg product
tapioca
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Original
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
Instinct
Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
First Five Ingredients
rabbitturkey meal
menhaden meal
chicken fat
whitefish meal
Instinct
Original
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
Instinct
Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon
First Five Ingredients
salmonmenhaden meal
whitefish meal
pea
herring meal
Instinct
Raw Boost
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
Instinct
Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck
First Five Ingredients
duckturkey meal
chicken meal
chicken fat
whitefish meal
Instinct
Original
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Kittens
Instinct
Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenturkey meal
menhaden meal
pea
chicken fat
Instinct
Raw Boost
Healthy Weight Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
Instinct
Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
chickpea
salmon meal
menhaden meal
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit
First Five Ingredients
rabbit mealpea
tapioca
canola oil
rabbit
Instinct
Original
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
Instinct
Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
turkey meal
menhaden meal
pea
Instinct
Raw Boost
Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
Instinct
Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
turkey meal
menhaden meal
pea
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grass-Fed Beef Recipe For Adult 7+ Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grass-Fed Beef Recipe For Adult 7+ Cats
First Five Ingredients
beefbeef liver
beef kidney
beef spleen
beef heart
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Grass-Fed Beef & Wild-Caught Cod Recipe For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity Grass-Fed Beef & Wild-Caught Cod Recipe For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
beefbeef liver
beef kidney
beef spleen
ground cod
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
fish oil
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
Instinct
Raw Longevity Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
ground flaxseed
fish oil
Instinct
Raw Longevity
Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
rabbitpork liver
pork heart
pork fat
ground pork bone
Instinct
Raw Meals
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
Instinct
Raw Meals Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenbeef liver
beef spleen
beef kidney
cod
Instinct
Raw Meals
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Cats
Instinct
Raw Meals Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
montmorillonite clay
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen)
Grass-Fed Beef Recipe (Bites) For Adult 7+ Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen) Grass-Fed Beef Recipe (Bites) For Adult 7+ Cats
First Five Ingredients
beefbeef liver
beef kidney
beef spleen
beef heart
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen)
Grass-Fed Beef & Wild-Caught Cod Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen) Grass-Fed Beef & Wild-Caught Cod Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
beefbeef liver
beef kidney
beef spleen
ground cod
Instinct
Raw Bites
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
Instinct
Raw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenbeef liver
beef spleen
beef kidney
cod
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen)
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen) Cage-Free Chicken Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
fish oil
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen)
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe (Bites) For Kittens
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen) Cage-Free Chicken Recipe (Bites) For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
ground flaxseed
fish oil
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen)
Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
Instinct
Raw Longevity (Frozen) Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe (Bites) For Adult Cats
First Five Ingredients
rabbitpork liver
pork heart
pork fat
ground pork bone
Instinct
Raw Bites
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
Instinct
Raw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
chicken heart
montmorillonite clay
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Real Salmon Recipe
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmonsalmon broth
pea protein
sunflower oil
pea
Instinct
Original Minced
Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Original Minced Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
chicken brothchicken
chicken liver
egg whites
dried ground pea
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Real Rabbit Recipe
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Real Rabbit Recipe
First Five Ingredients
rabbitpork
pork liver
pork broth
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Original Minced
Salmon Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Original Minced Salmon Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
salmon brothsalmon
chicken liver
egg whites
chicken
Instinct
Original Minced
Tuna Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Original Minced Tuna Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
fish brothtuna
pork liver
egg whites
pork
Instinct
Original Minced
Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Original Minced Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
pork brothrabbit
pork liver
pork
egg whites
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Lamb Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lamblamb broth
turkey
turkey liver
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Venison Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Venison Recipe
First Five Ingredients
venisonpork liver
pork broth
ground flaxseed
montmorillonite clay
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Duck Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Duck Recipe
First Five Ingredients
duckchicken broth
chicken liver
egg product
dicalcium phosphate
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Salmon Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Salmon Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmonsalmon broth
pork liver
ground flaxseed
montmorillonite clay
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Real Rabbit Recipe Pate
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Real Rabbit Recipe Pate
First Five Ingredients
rabbitwater
pea protein
pea
rabbit liver
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Chicken Recipe For Kittens
Instinct
Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
salmon
beef liver
egg product
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Real Turkey Recipe
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe
First Five Ingredients
turkeyturkey broth
turkey liver
pea
pea protein
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Real Chicken Recipe
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Real Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
chicken liver
egg product
dicalcium phosphate
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Chicken Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
chicken liver
egg product
dicalcium phosphate
Instinct
Original Canned
Real Rabbit Recipe
Instinct
Original Canned Real Rabbit Recipe
First Five Ingredients
rabbitpork
pork liver
pork broth
ground flaxseed
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers
Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers Farm-Raised Rabbit Recipe
First Five Ingredients
rabbitpork
pork liver
pumpkin seed
carrot
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers Cage-Free Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
pumpkin seed
chicken heart
carrot
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers
Digestive Health For Cats
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers Digestive Health For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
pumpkin seed
chicken heart
dried pumpkin
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers
Skin & Coat Health For Cats
Instinct
Raw Boost Mixers Skin & Coat Health For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken liver
pumpkin seed
chicken heart
cod
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Cage-Free Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
turkey broth
chicken liver
egg whites
Instinct
Ultimate Protein
Cage-Free Duck Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
Instinct
Ultimate Protein Cage-Free Duck Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
First Five Ingredients
duckduck broth
turkey broth
turkey liver
egg whites
Instinct
Healthy Cravings
Real Duck Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Healthy Cravings Real Duck Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
turkey brothduck
turkey
turkey liver
egg
Instinct
Healthy Cravings
Real Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Healthy Cravings Real Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
chicken brothchicken
chicken liver
egg
dried ground pea
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet
Real Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
Instinct
Limited Ingredient Diet Real Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy For Cats
First Five Ingredients
waterrabbit
rabbit liver
dried ground chickpea
guar gum
Instinct
Healthy Cravings
Real Salmon Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Healthy Cravings Real Salmon Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
salmon brothsalmon
chicken
chicken liver
egg
Instinct
Healthy Cravings
Real Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Healthy Cravings Real Rabbit Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
pork brothrabbit
pork
pork liver
egg
Instinct
Healthy Cravings
Real Tuna Recipe In Savory Gravy
Instinct
Healthy Cravings Real Tuna Recipe In Savory Gravy
First Five Ingredients
fish brothtuna
chicken
chicken liver
egg
