The scores
Instinct Raw Boost: B (79/100)
Instinct Original: B (78/100)
One point. That’s the entire gap between Instinct’s premium Raw Boost line and its standard Original formula. Both sit comfortably in the B tier alongside other solid cat foods like Nutro and Merrick. A 1-point difference is effectively a rounding error — it means the formulas are nutritionally equivalent for all practical purposes. The real question is whether Raw Boost’s handful of extra ingredients justify the price premium.
How the ingredients compare
Here are the first five ingredients side by side:
Raw Boost: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas
Original: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat
The first three ingredients are identical — same proteins, same order. Both formulas build on a strong animal protein foundation with chicken as the primary whole-meat ingredient backed by two concentrated protein meals. The divergence starts at position four: Raw Boost slots in menhaden fish meal as a third protein source before peas, while Original moves to peas and chicken fat. Both are grain-free, both include freeze-dried raw pieces deeper in the ingredient list, and both add probiotics. The base formula is clearly the same recipe with Raw Boost layering on a few targeted additions.
Where Raw Boost pulls ahead
Salmon oil for omega-3s. This is the most meaningful upgrade Raw Boost offers. Salmon oil delivers preformed EPA and DHA — the marine-sourced omega-3 fatty acids cats need but cannot efficiently synthesize from plant sources. These support skin health, coat quality, brain function, and inflammation management. Instinct Original relies on chicken fat and its fish meals for fatty acids but lacks a dedicated omega-3 oil supplement.
Menhaden fish meal. Raw Boost includes menhaden fish meal as a fourth named animal protein in the top five ingredients. This adds another species of animal protein to the formula and contributes additional marine-sourced nutrients. Original doesn’t reach a fish protein until further down the ingredient list.
Dried kelp and blueberries. Raw Boost adds dried kelp (a natural source of iodine and trace minerals important for thyroid function) and blueberries (antioxidant-rich). These are small additions by weight, but they reflect a more complete supplementation strategy. Neither appears in the Original formula. Shop on Amazon →
Where Instinct Original holds its own
Essentially the same nutritional base. The first three ingredients are identical, both include freeze-dried raw pieces, and both add probiotics. For the core nutrition that matters most — animal protein density, named protein sources, and digestive support — Original delivers virtually the same thing as Raw Boost. The 1-point score difference confirms this: the base formula is already strong.
Lower price for the same grade. Raw Boost commands a noticeable premium over Original, yet both earn B grades with nearly identical scores. Dollar for dollar, Original delivers the same letter grade, the same protein foundation, and the same probiotic benefit at a friendlier price point. For most cats, the practical nutritional difference between these two formulas is negligible. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
A 1-point gap between sibling formulas from the same brand tells you everything: these are fundamentally the same food. Raw Boost’s extras — salmon oil, menhaden fish meal, kelp, and blueberries — are genuinely good ingredients, and the salmon oil in particular is a meaningful omega-3 upgrade for cats with skin or coat concerns. But if your cat is thriving on Instinct Original, switching to Raw Boost is unlikely to produce a noticeable difference. Save the money or put it toward a higher-scoring formula altogether. Read our full reviews of Instinct Raw Boost and Instinct Original for the complete ingredient breakdowns.