Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet, Natural Dry Cat Food, Grain Free Recipe - Real Rabbit, 4.5 lb. Bag

We have a rescue kitty, an Orange Boy, who had a lot of issues we attributed to his early life. When he was about 30 months old, he started losing weight. We took him to the vet, who examined him and recommended a novel protein food for him. We found this one.He immediately started gaining the weight back, and we then noticed his behavior changing. Many of his behavioral issues vanished, and he has become a confident, well adjusted adult cat. We attribute much of that to his food.We free feed two cats, so both eat the same diet. Yes, it's expensive, but they eat less of this than other brands, and it's cheaper than a vet visit.

One of my two cats started itching her neck nonstop about 4 months ago. I took her in to the vet and they treated as a hot spot, then later ran tests and bloodwork when she wouldn't let it heal. They suggested I book an appointment for a dermatology specialist, who was booking 3 months out with a $400 exam fee. Knowing they likely would put her on an elimination diet, I decided to start the work on my own while waiting for the appointment. I gave her ONLY this food and between weeks 3 and 4 she was back to normal! I was able to cancel the appointment, get my deposit back, and my girl is happy and comfortable again! I've determined that she developed a chicken allergy at 2.5 years old. Luckily she isn't a picky eater and has no problems trying new foods.The bad: this stuff (specifically the Rabbit) smells FOUL coming out of her. Living in a small city apartment, it really takes a toll on how the home smells. I am going to transition her to the salmon version in hopes that keeps her skin happy and my home smelling nicer.

I recently switched from a vet prescribed weight loss pellet, Purina pro plan, to this limited ingredient pellet + wet food and the change was immediate! After many vet visits for my cats weight and scabby cat disease, nothing they did helped her. After switching, her coat has been so sleek and soft with much less fur loss, her scabs reduced dramatically, she hasn't regurgitated it (pukings been a problem that was just chalked up to eating too fast), and she looks much skinnier even though I'm feeding her more calories per day than the vets prescribed. I can't speak to the taste but the smell is a bit strong. Violet took to it immediately, but she'll eat her own toenails. Will be sticking with this brand!

My male orange tabby, Louis, is almost 15. In the last year he was getting scrawny and agitated, after being healthy his whole life. Turns out he has a hyperactive thyroid, a common disorder in older cats that is very serious. There’s a radioactive injection the vet can place in the thyroid to stop its over-production, but it costs $1500, which I just do not have. Lou would not eat the Hill’s prescription thyroid food the vet gave him, so I had a real problem.I did a LOT of online research and realized I needed to change Lou’s diet, to a more simple, far less carbo, protein-rich diet with very little iodine (it jacks up thyroid function). Cats are carnivores and do not need a carbo-laden diet (which most commercial cat foods are); it’s better to go for as raw and simple a formula as possible, mainly protein.I removed all foods with fish in them, all treats and the occasional canned tuna snack from Lou’s diet (he LOVES tuna, but fish is very high in iodine) and gradually titrated him onto this Instinct Rabbit dry food. He liked it from the start! I also now give him a separate pouch a day of the wet Instinct Duck or Rabbit food topper, in addition to his water, to keep him plumper & better hydrated. (I did try a liquid homeopathic thyroid control supplement in his food, but he HATED it, and he won’t let me put the dropper in his mouth, so I had to stop it.)Long story short, although this diet will not cure him, It has reduced his thyroid production, and he’s put on some weight and is much calmer. One note: the Instinct Rabbit dry kibbles are VERY dark in color, kinda smelly, and produce UNBELIEVABLY stinky poop! Even when using the best cat litter. So put the cat box near a cracked window and invest in a good organic room spray! Seriously, if that’s the price to pay to keep my dear little buddy with me awhile longer, in better health, I’m happy!

Please don't ever change your recipe! The Limited Ingredient Rabbit and Turkey are the ONLY foods my cat can eat without having stomach issues.Most "limited ingredients" foods still include some form of fish or fish oil, gums, fillers or wheat.This food uses peas as a binding agent which is gentle on a sensitive cats stomach.The price is more than fair considering the cost of prescription foods that have the same benefits for sensitive cats but far worse ingredients.I see some customers complained about the smell of the cat poop on the rabbit. This DOES get better as the cat adjusts to the novel protein. Most domestic cats are fed some form of poultry which moves through the digestive tract faster than the rabbit.As your cat adjusts to the new food the smell will not be as bad.Their poop is darker on the rabbit due to the meat itself being pure and not mixed with other fillers and ingredients.My cat loves both the turkey and the rabbit so I offer both.As a side note, one of my other cats was on a prescription diet and ALL of my cats turned their noses up at it and gagged.So glad I found Instinct!