Tiki Cat vs Instinct – Which One Suits Your Cat?

As a cat owner, finding the safest, most nourishing and delicious cat food brand is probably what you wish for your cat. But with so many brands promising to be the best, how do you settle on one?

Cats can’t digest carbohydrates or vegetables. They are obligate carnivores, so must have meat in their diet in order to survive and thrive. Cat food makers work around this concept by making a variety of meat products, in order to fulfil the cat’s natural cravings. Whether the meat is dry or wet, raw or canned, the quantity, quality and safety of the protein content is what matters. Factors like product safety, ingredient quality and brand reputation are important when considering the best brand for your cat food. Tiki Cat and Instinct are two popular brands, processing healthy supreme cat foods aimed at ensuring cats enjoy every bite of their food. How do these 2 companies compete against each other?

What Are The Differences Between Tiki Cat and Instinct?

Tiki Cat vs Instinct – How Do They Compare?

Crude Protein Analysis

Crude protein is the lab method used for the chemical analysis and determination of the amount of protein nutrients in a product. AAFCO requires a minimum 26% crude protein dry matter content. Generally therefore, Tiki Cat products have higher protein content than Instinct’s. For example, Tiki Cat’s dry food crude protein is 50.5% while Instinct’s is 44.4%. Some people argue that crude protein is not a good measure because it does not consider the quality of protein. Cats have higher protein needs than other domestic animals. The right quantity and quality of protein is therefore very important for the cat’s well-being.

Product Specialization

Instinct products are largely centered on the ‘raw’ concept while Tiki Cat is more ‘wet food’ oriented. Instinct’s products are minimally processed, never cooked. Raw cat-feeding benefits include less stool, reduced stool odor, improved digestion, healthier coat, better dental health and more energy. Although raw food may be more prone to pathogens like salmonella, many pass the cat’s short, acidic digestive tract without causing harm. Wet food on the other hand promotes better hydration, supports lean body mass and offers a diverse variety to choose from. This way a cat doesn’t get bored eating the same meal daily.

Controversial Ingredients

Some Tiki Cat products have been found to have 2 controversial while Instinct has 4. Controversial ingredients are not necessarily harmful to cats. Continued exposure of cats to these ingredients however increases the risk of negative side effects. To be safe, cat food with no controversial ingredient is ideal. All the same, it is permissible for products to have up to 4 controversial ingredients.

Tiki Cat vs Instinct – A Comparative Review

Tiki Cat Review

Tiki Cat is owned by Petropics and thier pet food is manufactured in Thailand. They majorly produce assorted wet food that is either canned or packed in pouches, but they also have a few dry cat food selections. Tiki Ca’s major product lines include: Born Carnivore line – baked kibble foods ; Canned foods line – Luau line combining chicken with fish ; Grill line – wet fish-based foods ; Aloha Friends line – wet food made with chicken or tuna and supplemented with pumpkin; Velvet line – smooth mousses and Life stage-specific foods for senior cats and kittens

Tiki Cat Luau Wet Food

This is one of Tiki Cat’s leading products consisting of Tuna, chicken broth, chicken, tricalcium phosphate and sunflower seed oil. Its low carbohydrate high moisture content makes it ideal for diabetic cats. Besides, the real meat, real protein, real fish high-protein canned cat food is nutritious and help in cat weight-loss too.

Pros

• Very low carbohydrates
• High moisture satiating food
• Nourishing rich animal protein

Cons

• Sunflower seed oil in the place of animal fat
• Very little fat – not ideal for cats
• pricey

View price on Amazon

Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Wet Food

Chicken and lamb are the main ingredients in this low carbohydrates, high protein wet cat food. The grain free cat offers complete balanced diet that has high moisture content. It also contains pumpkin which is rich in fiber and gentle on the cat’s stomach. Moreover, the wet food contains no wheat, rice, soy, corn, artificial flavors or carrageenan.

Pros

• Low carbohydrates
• Real meat, real protein
• No artificial flavors or other sensitivity triggers
• High moisture content

Cons

• Strong smell
• Pieces of wrapping material sometimes in the food

View price on Amazon

Instinct Review

Instinct Original cat food is processed by Instinct pet food located in Lincoln Nebraska. They concentrate their efforts on the ‘raw’ crafting of both wet and dry cat foods. They want the pet bowl to be full of pure, nutritional and raw delicacies. Instinct’s product lines include: Raw frozen foods; Freeze-dried foods; Raw frozen food combined with kibble; Canned foods and Simple kibbles.

Instinct Original Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe

This high protein canned wet food contains 95% chicken, chicken liver, chicken broth and turkey, from real natural sources. The remaining 5% consists of carrots, peas, montmorillonite clay and ground flaxseed. Though it has small amounts of egg product, the product avoids ingredients linked to sensitivities like grain, potato, soy, wheat, preservatives etc. To complete the nutritional pack, the product is fortified with minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

Pros

• Primarily animal protein sources
• Contains muscle meat and organs
• No animal by-product
• No artificial flavors or preservatives
• Low carbohydrates

Cons

• Pricey

View price on Amazon

Instinct Original grain Free Natural Dry Cat Food

Instinct’s original dry cat food boasts of being the first raw coated kibble. It is not only grain-free but is also free from all suspected sensitivity triggers like animal by-products, preservatives and artificial colors. It contains 81% protein from real animals, predominantly chicken. The other 19% is made up of wholesome ingredients including fruits and vegetables. Besides, it contains omegas for coat and skin, and probiotics for healthy digestion.

Pros

• High protein, low carbohydrates
• No preservatives or other sensitivity triggers
• Real animal protein
• Raw coated kibble
• Probiotics

Cons

• Very little water content

View price on Amazon

Conclusion

The bottom line is, let your cat’s needs determine the best cat food brand. Both Tiki Cat and Instinct Original have a variety of wholesome, healthy choices to choose from. If you and your cat love the raw diet, Instinct would be a good choice. However, if you prefer a wet diet for your cat, then Tiki Cat’s wide selection will do you good.

Verdict: Which is better – Tiki Cat or Instinct?

Tiki Cat offers a wide selection of wet foods to choose from. Variety will make meals interesting for the cat. Moreover, Tiki Cat also has special diets like the diabetic cat’s meals. For this reason, Tiki Cat is our preferred choice.

FAQs

Q1. Is raw food safe for the cat?

Raw diet has the higher risks of contracting pathogens like Salmonella. The cat’s short, acidic digestive tract ensures many pathogens don’t harm it.

Q2. How often should I feed my cat wet food?

This would depend on your cat’s health, weight and the doctor’s recommendation. Cats can eat wet food any time of the day.

Maria Giovanni

Maria Giovanni is a pet lover and does have a variety of pets at home, from the lapdogs to parrots and cats. The latter however seems to be her favorite because she operates a shelter that caters specifically to injured and stray cats. You can also leave your cat with her if you have to travel out of town for a longer period and don’t want to lock your cat inside. Over the years Maria has championed for the rights of animals, because of the many vices that are done to the defenseless animals around the world. Compiling information for the Simple Catguide was quite fulfilling because it allowed her to share knowledge on how best people can care for their pet cats.