This post is sponsored by Instinct® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Instinct Raw but CatInTheFridge.com only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Instinct is not responsible for the content of this article.

Dear Readers,
Many of you may know by now that my FODs keep me on a raw food diet. Sometimes I grumble, sometimes I find a food that pleases my delicate palate. In either case, the FODs are pretty set on raw food for a variety of reasons. For instance, did you know that when I was adopted I was super sick with upper respiratory infections and herpes outbreaks? The doctors said I’d never breathe normally again. MomFOD put me on a raw diet and within two weeks, I was looking good! I mean, I always looked good. Great, really, but the raw definitely put me over the edge and those stump modeling contracts really began pouring in But, I digress.

Ponder this: can cats in the wild cook their dinner? Have you ever seen a wild animal constructing a fire of twigs and tinder bundles so they can delicately sear their recently snared vole? You haven’t? That’s because they don’t. Raw diets are what nature had in mind for cats and we felines have all the right digestive enzymes for being able to eat raw. We are also obligate carnivores meaning we MUST eat meat. Therefore, when one of our favorite food brands approached us and asked us to share our experience with our readers, we were all for it! So, without further ado, please have a look at:
Nature’s Variety Instinct® Raw Bites
::Cue exciting music::
Nevermind. Nature’s Variety didn’t send us any music. They did send us this fabulous picture though:

So, let’s look at this scientifically, shall we?

What is it:
Instinct Raw is made of 95% meat, organs, and bones, 5% fruits and vegetables, and 0% grain. It’s made in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
The Hypothesis:
I volunteered to try Instinct Raw Bites because I’ve already tried it and know it’s delicious. We believe that raw is the way to go for most cats and we hypothesize that we will eat and enjoy this food.

The Test:
Four out of five cats were used as testers on the rabbit and chicken flavors. The dog also eats this food but she’s away on holiday at the GrandFODs’ place. Since we already eat raw, we did not have to transition slowly and ate is all by itself. The bites are cool because they are really quick to thaw and, since MomFOD often forgets to plan ahead, it only takes a few minutes before we can chow down.

The Conclusion:
It was delicious. Four out of four testers ate the food.

The Benefits of A Raw Food Diet:
Some of the most-oft cited benefits of feeding raw (and those we’ve noticed here) are:
- Healthy skin and coat
- Optimal Digestion
- Healthy teeth and gums
- Relief from food sensitivities
- Ideal Body Weight
I’d also like to add:
- Poop smells better
- Anal gland expression issues in dog have resolved (thank goodness)
Tips:
- If your cat has never tried raw before, start slowly with small amounts to make the transition. Many raw companies advocate mixing your cat’s current diet with some raw. This can work for some, though in our house, some of the more sensitive stomachs are unable to handle raw and cooked at the same time. You know your cat’s stomach. Choose wisely.
- In addition, we often get tired of the same protein source, so it’s helpful to rotate to make sure we’re getting as much nutrition as possible and don’t snub the food.
- Raw doesn’t have a strong smell, so if your pet doesn’t like it right away, keep trying! Sprinkle hated the idea of raw the first few times and her tummy got a bit grumbly. We stopped trying to give it to her and a week later, she was stealing Louie’s (and my) raw food all on her own.

Where to find it:
While we only used to be able to find our raw food in Chicago health food stores, we are now able to find it at PetSmart! Please be aware, though, that it’s not in ALL PetSmart stores yet and was only in 50% of the two we visited. In addition, the cat variety was hidden in the dog section way up on the top. You may have to ask. Here’s what the display looks like:

Try It:
Now then! If our experience has made you curious, Instinct is kindly offering a $3 off coupon on their website, which you can use towards a trial size or a larger bag. Larger bags tend to be more cost effective, and we hope that they come up with a “We have five cats” size bag soon.
Safety concerns:
Those are addressed here! We make sure to keep our bowls and hands clean, and haven’t had any problems! For more info, visit: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/quality-and-safety
You can also discuss on their Facebook page.
That’s it! We are really pleased to have participated in this campaign because we feel diet is THE MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH ASPECT of pet care. We always advocate using species-appropriate, healthy foods to keep your pets healthy and we are huge advocates of the raw diet and have been for years.
What do you think of raw? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Let’s discuss!
Love,
Crepes.
Maybe this is the next solution we need to try when it comes to Clove’s digestive tract. No matter the food she eats, when she uses the litter box the odor that follows is so strong, eye watering, nostril closing, and scream inducing it practically turns the neighborhood in to a ghost town. I’ve heard a raw diet works well to eliminate horrid smelling elimination, but have always been turned off by the smell, appearance and danger of E. coli, but the Instinct Raw Bites don’t look much different than some of the grain free canned food she normally eats.
A lover of any and all meats I have a feeling Clove will not mind the idea of switching to a raw diet, tomorrow to Petsmart we shall go! Thank you as always for the helpful information and honest thoughts dear Crepes. Using you as their supercatmodel/spokespurrson would have Raw Bites flying off the fridge shelves and putting mazillions in Instinct’s bank account- they would be crazy not to! Your talent, beauty, humor and smarts never cease to amaze me sweet niece, it’s no surprise you have the FODs wrapped around all three paws and one stump.
Truffle liked it once I put it on my fingers and mashed it a little. Brulee says the jury is still out of whether she’ll eat it.
I have fed raw to some of my cats and they did well on it–particularly the one with the digestive issues. HOWEVER, if your cat has a compromised immune system due to the medication it is on (steroids, chemotherapy), be VERY careful. One of my (former) vets increased the cat’s dosage and the cat’s system could no longer handle the raw (it was this brand) and almost died. It cost me about $3,600.00 and took some incredibly talented vets to save him.
I think raw is a good idea so long as safety precautions are followed and common sense is used.
We are going to run right out and get some…Ok, the human is going to do the running I’ll do the taste test!
Have a super Wednesday…
Noodle and crew
Newton loved this food when it was available in our area. Maybe this push into PetSmart will make it available again in the future so we have the option again. Raw really does seem to be the way to go, and the idea of having a way to feed raw when the head peep doesn’t plan ahead is really appealing!
This food looks interesting. We love our FF beef but every other day mom puts Purrfect Bistro food down for us. If PetSmart up here has it we’ll try it.
Shoko
Looks like a hit with your crew too! Great post.
stock…thanx for de honest ree view & tipz….we will hafta have de food servizz gurl chex thiz out next time herz a shoppin ♥♥♥
I loved the Instinct Raw Bites right away! Just the little bit Binga has gotten so far has helped with her digestive issues!
We got to try the Instinct Raw Bites too. The mom adds it to our wet food…and we love it!
If they are only going to have one fridge per store, they shouldn’t hide it in the dog section.. how disappointing..
Hum.. those bits look different from what we have tried in the past, maybe I’ll look into another package and see if The Crew likes it for when we don’t have food thawed.