Original Grain Free Recipe Variety Pack Natural Wet Canned Cat Food by Nature's Variety, 3 Ounce (Pack of 12)

I've been using the instinct brand for a number of years.Probably over ten.. When I recently lost one of my cats , the other would not eat the food she had been eating for years.. I decided to order this and she is begging for her food in the morning.

Was nervous about the reviews with cats not liking it but mine licked the plate clean so I guess depends on the cat!

Since I've been feeding premium foods to my cats, my cats have been living into their mid-20s, and with very few veterinary bills. One of them was only a few months short of 29 years old. So, the ingredients are my primary concern. Of course, good ingredients aren't useful if my cats don't eat the food. The ingredients in Instinct recipes look very good. For example, the first five ingredients in its Real Salmon Recipe are Salmon, Fish Broth, Beef, Beef Heart, and Beef Liver. That's great; all of the first five ingredients are real proteins from fish or beef, and there's nothing that looks scary in the rest of the ingredients. The first ingredients in cat food should always be meat, fish, or poultry, and broth is good too because cats get a large part of their liquid requirements from their food, which is particularly important as they grow older and generally drink less water. Real Duck Recipe: Duck, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Egg Product, and Dicalcium Phosphate as the first five ingredients. Perhaps not quite as good as the Real Salmon Recipe in that respect, but still very good. Real Chicken Recipe: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Egg Product, Dicalcium Phosphate. This is pretty much the same as the Real Duck Recipe, only with chicken rather than duck as the first ingredient. I look for cat food without corn, soy, wheat, gluten, or by-products. While the heart and liver might be considered a by-product in one sense, it's a named by-product. When an ingredient is simply listed as "by-products" or "chicken by-products," the actual ingredient could be any scrap that would otherwise go to waste, so I don't buy cat food that lists "by-products" as an ingredient. On the downside, Instinct is far from my cats' favorite food, for reasons that only cats can determine. Sometimes they refuse to eat it, but, at other times, they'll walk away from it in protest only to return to eat it later. On that end, they prefer the Chicken and Salmon recipes to the Duck, and I've found that to be true for other cat food brands as well. They just don't care for duck. For some reviewers, this might warrant a poor rating. After all, if your cats don't like it, why give it a good rating? However, cats are fickle, and they are also individuals. The ingredient list is good, and your cats might love it. If this turns out to be the case, this will be a good choice for you. This isn't my first order. Besides my two cats (Ella, age 8, and Bubba, age 2), I feed a few feral cats as well, and, although they are not my cats, I don't want to feed them junk, so I look for something that has reasonably good ingredients and yet is affordable, and Instinct fits the bill. It's not nearly as expensive as some of the other cat food that I buy, and whatever my cats won't eat is set on the porch for the ferals, and they love it. Curiously, one of the most expensive canned cat foods I've ever bought was rejected even by the ferals, so it's not a given that the feral cats will eat anything. This is a good cat food. If your cats like it, you will be feeding them well without breaking the bank.

Pet consumed it and so far, no health issues.

I wanted to give this a try, since a lot of people swear by it. I have 3 special needs kitties that require medications in wet food, and also dental disease that flares up from time to time. They also have food sensitivities, so I am always looking for a great food that meets their requirements. I got the variety lack. The chicken seemed ok. The salmon smelled like pig colon. I mean, we had to open window, take all remnants to the outdoor trash, flush the leftover food down the toilet, and bleach the dish. I got some on my hands while I was prepping it (adding medication, and watering it down for the one cat), and I had to scrub twice just to get the smell off me. The cat wouldn't eat it. My other non picky kitty ran up I was going to stop her, since it had medication, but no need. She tried to cover it up like she does when she goes potty!!!!!!! No it isn't the medication either. Put it in some Sheba, and problem solved. The date is current, but this food is off. The chicken didn't seem so bad, but my kitty wasn't thrilled with that one either, so I am never buying this brand again. Oh, and the tiny bit the kitty tried was vomited up shortly thereafter. I decided to read reviews, and I guess I am just glad there weren't maggots

I was looking for a cat food without guar gum, it's a binder they use to keep the food together and for most "gravy". Seems a couple of my cats are sensitive to guar gum and it gives them the runs. This food uses a food safe clay as a binder. It's been a couple weeks and it seems to be working. There are actual small pieces of carrot in the food! It's pricey, almost double the price of their previous food. But, no intestinal distress!

Photos: top can is newer formula (late 2025), bottom is old (late 2024-25) - no, neither are expired yet. Chicken recipe has my cat’s paw in the pic, other is the duck recipe. I’ve been buying Instinct’s Variety Pack of patés since early 2024 for my siamese girl (and previously her fur sibling). Previously, it was a fan favorite next to only one other brand, showing nearly immediate changes to my cats’ appetites, better coats, all things you want from a high quality wet food. My girls’ loved the old formula. Sometime in 2025 since my previous purchase, formula changed. I ordered again, and the cans are now gold, and you can see differences in the ingredients and feeding instructions (from 1 can to 3/4-1 can per 6 to 8 lbs). It’s chunkier, less soft to blend (my older cat used to need blended), with more liquid than previously (I assume due to the lack of gums). While I think the switch to clay could be great, my current cat and her stomach do not agree. I switched her properly, and she threw up. Attempted again (for 4+ weeks each time), and throw up plus diarhea. While this might work for others, my siamese was already picky about cat food, especially texture and smell. She’s the only one who would try the new formula, my other cat ran from it after a sniff. She’ll lick it, but commonly vomits it within an hour now. Still, I recommend the brand — just wish consumers would have received better notice on the change to give us a better chance to switch over, if needed. After call, cats are cute, but picky

My cats like this canned food.

Really good quality and my cat loved the different flavours 😸

El producto llegó en tiempo y forma. Instinct cuenta con altos estándares de calidad en productos alimenticios para perros y gatos. Aunque su costo esté por encima del promedio, va en relación precio-calidad. Mis michis y peludos también agradecen y lo disfrutan mucho. Aunque no tiene nada que ver con el producto, el repartidor también fue muy atento y amable.

my cat wont eat it has so much fat

I've been buying this brand of food for my cat for a couple of years now and she LOVES it. I also love it because there are more calories in these small cans compared to most other brands. Great for a senior cat who needs a bit more calories :)

had ordered this item many times.. and usually it is MADE IN USA.. but this lot, 3 cartons, is MADE IN THAILAND.. the quality of the meat is different for the 3 flavours.. The one made in USA is more meaty, and the one from Thailand is more like a paste. My cat does not like this change... he walked away when this food is placed near him. Cats are very sensitive to taste. .. i might need to return these if my cat keep rejecting it. . Note to Amazon.. how to indicate the country of manufacturer in the order page? Now i need to find another source of wet food for my cat., unless Amazon can send me only MADE IN USA.. the reason why i order from AMAZON is that is MADE IN USA.