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Instinct vs Castor & Pollux

Instinct vs. Castor & Pollux

In this comparison article for Instinct vs Castor & Pollux, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct and Castor & Pollux, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Castor & Pollux vs Instinct comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Instinct Review Page or Castor & Pollux Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Castor & Pollux vs. Instinct

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Instinct Dog Food vs. Castor & Pollux Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein36.2%32.6%
Crude Fat24.1%17.1%
Crude Fiber4.4%4.2%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein42.1%39.9%
Crude Fat27.7%23.5%
Crude Fiber10.0%6.5%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

If you look at the average percentages of crude protein, you'll notice that Instinct typically guarantees 3.61% more protein. This is a fairly small difference between Instinct and Castor & Pollux, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Instinct wet dog foods also provide more protein than Castor & Pollux wet foods.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

The table shows that Castor & Pollux provides far less fat than Instinct. The difference in fat content is roughly 7.03%. In addition, Instinct wet dog foods also provide more fat than Castor & Pollux wet foods.


As you can see, Castor & Pollux and Instinct guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.46% more).

Instinct Cat Food vs. Castor & Pollux Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein43.7%38.2%
Crude Fat25.4%15.7%
Crude Fiber3.7%4.0%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein47.1%43.3%
Crude Fat25.0%20.4%
Crude Fiber8.6%5.7%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

Our analysis shows that Instinct guarantees 5.45% more protein than Castor & Pollux dry cat food recipes. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more protein (about 3.76% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
  • Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

On average, Instinct dry cat food recipes contain 9.63% more fat than Castor & Pollux recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the fat content of Castor & Pollux and Instinct. For wet cat foods, Instinct provides more fat (about 4.58% more).


Instinct and Castor & Pollux both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.88% more).

Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Castor & Pollux Pet Food Ingredients

Instinct and Castor & Pollux both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Garlic
Pea Protein
Tomato Pomace
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Instinct.

Canola Oil
Dried Tomato Pomace

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Castor & Pollux.

Caramel
Garlic Powder
Powdered Cellulose
Organic Pea Protein
Organic Caramel Color
Organic Garlic Powder
Pea Protein Concentrate

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Instinct and Castor & Pollux both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Instinct & Castor & Pollux?

Instinct has been recalled 2 times.

  • July 24, 2015: Salmonella
  • Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag

Castor & Pollux has been recalled once.

  • May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$8.93$5.01
Per Calorie$0.0044$0.0030
Dry Cat FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$11.49$5.50
Per Calorie$0.0057$0.0033
Wet Dog FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$6.31$8.32
Per Calorie$0.0107$0.0182
Wet Cat FoodInstinctCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$8.87$9.65
Per Calorie$0.0179$0.0214

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Instinct or Castor & Pollux, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Instinct or Castor & Pollux will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Instinct and Castor & Pollux. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Instinct Pet Foods

You can purchase Instinct pet foods from the following stores:


84 Recipes In-Stock Today

59 Recipes In-Stock Today

67 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Castor & Pollux Pet Foods

You can purchase Castor & Pollux pet food products from these retailers:


46 Recipes In-Stock Today

10 Recipes In-Stock Today

35 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductInstinctCastor & Pollux
Dry Dog Food37 Recipes17 Recipes
Wet Dog Food10 Recipes28 Recipes
Dog TreatsNone22 Treats
Dry Cat Food20 Recipes6 Recipes
Wet Cat Food16 Recipes18 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone1 Treats

Top Rated Instinct Recipes

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Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken
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Top Rated Castor & Pollux Recipes

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Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
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Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Whitefish Recipe Morsels In Gravy
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