Inside Instinct
Where they began, how they craft each recipe, and why we trust them in every bowl.
Instinct (formerly Nature’s Variety) was founded in 2002 after the Milligan family saw how a raw, meat-based diet helped big cats thrive at Lincoln’s zoos. That spark led to collaboration with University of Nebraska nutritionists and some of the earliest complete & balanced raw recipes for dogs and cats.
Today Instinct is known for minimally processed nutrition — frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, and kibble boosted with raw — crafted in company-owned facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska. Recipes are guided by food scientists and a Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, made safer with High Pressure Processing (HPP), and held to SQF food safety and quality certifications so pets get the nutrition of raw with modern safety standards.
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