Review Summary
We give Farmina cat food a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
Farmina is one of the higher quality foods on the market. It includes many high-quality ingredients and plenty of meat. Most of the formulas include a large amount of protein and are rich in the nutrients that your feline needs. However, it is also one of the more expensive options on the market, which can be off-putting for many owners.
Farmina cat food has a long history. The Italian company Russo Magimi had been producing animal feed since 1965. However, it first decided to start creating dog food in the ‘90s. It reached out to Farmina, an English nutrition company, to create nutritionally complete cat food. The food bears the research company’s name, even though the Italian feed company owns it.
Today, the company partners with the University of Naples to keep track of new clinical studies and publish its studies. It is dedicated to scientific research and development. For this reason, its food tends to be quite science-driven as well.
At a Glance: The Best Farmina Cat Food Recipes
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Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food |
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Farmina Natural & Delicious Wild Boar Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food |
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Farmina Natural & Delicious Prime Boar & Apple Canned Cat Food |
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Farmina Cat Food Reviewed
Who Makes Farmina and Where Is It Produced?
Farmina foods are sourced from Italy for the most part. Some specific ingredients are sourced from other European counties and New Zealand. It only uses non-GMO ingredients that are not treated with steroids, growth hormones, or antibiotics.
Its manufacturing facilities are in Europe and follow all the food safety standards laid out by the European Union. These standards are typically stringent, making this food generally safer than other options, even those made in the United States.
Farmina also uses a rare extrusion technique when crafting its food. This ensures that there are fewer nutrients lost when the food is cooked and heated. It also improves the digestibility of the nutrients. The food is cooked in a vacuum system, which protects the food from extreme amounts of heat.
Varieties Offered
This company focuses primarily on dry food. It does offer a few wet food options, but these are generally not as popular as its dry food options. Furthermore, it has far fewer wet food than dry food varieties.
This company does offer a prescription-only line that provides targeted health for specific health disorders. Of course, these foods are not available for all cats, only those with health problems that require a specific diet.
Besides the vet line, it also has the Natural & Delicious line, which includes basically all their other food options. However, this line can be broken down into a variety of different categories.
There’s a line called N&D Quinoa Functional Feline that provides support for specific conditions but does not require a veterinary prescription. As the name suggests, all these foods use quinoa instead of other grain options.
N&D Prime Feline is the high-protein option. These foods include over 98% animal protein and are not high in grains. This line is one of the few that includes both wet and dry foods.
The N&D Ancestral Grain is probably the most popular feline option. It includes ancient cereal grains instead of the more common ones. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the grains are healthier, though that is the advertised message. We don’t actually have much scientific information regarding what grains are better for cats than others.
Farmina provides a few other options, like its Ocean Feline and Pumpkin Feline varieties. These have fewer recipes available than other options and are generally more specified.
Cost
Farmina is one of the more expensive options out there. Its dry foods can be expensive compared to other options on the market. Larger bags cost more, which is valid for most brands. Their wet foods are also quite expensive compared to other wet foods.
However, you’re paying for higher quality ingredients. When compared to foods with similar ingredients, this food costs about average.
Recalls
Currently, Farmina food has never been recalled. There have not been any “near” recalls either, which typically involve an investigation. Generally, this food is considered to be relatively safe and healthy.
A Quick Look at Farmina Cat Food
Reviews of the 3 Best Farmina Cat Food Recipes
1. Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food
The Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food is grain-free and includes high-quality ingredients. The first one is boneless chicken and the second is dehydrated chicken. Both are high-quality options for felines and include the muscle meat of the chicken, which is what humans typically eat.
The third ingredient is sweet potatoes. While this food is a higher-quality veggie, it isn’t high in protein or fat, which is what a cat needs to thrive. It isn’t high enough for us to consider it a filler in this food, but it may be included in too high of a concentration to be beneficial for felines.
Chicken fat is also included in this food, which bumps up the fat content significantly. This is considered a high-quality protein source because it is from an animal source. Dried whole eggs and herring are included high on the list, which are both nutritious and high-quality.
Overall, this food includes 70% animal ingredients and 30% fruits, veggies, and similar ingredients. However, this is the pre-cooked weight. The meat likely loses quite a bit of water weight when cooked and then dehydrated to make the kibble. For this reason, the ratio may not be relatively as high as is advertised when in the form that your feline is eating.
Ninety-seven percent of the protein comes from animal sources, which is quite good. Many cat foods include vegetable-based protein as an additive, typically from peas. In fact, this food is entirely free from peas, lentils, pea protein, chickpeas, or added plant oils. This formula is also low-glycemic because it doesn’t contain any foods that would spike your pet’s blood sugar substantially.
This food contains natural omega fatty acids, which are essential for skin and coat health. The added pomegranates and berries also increase the antioxidant content of this food.
2. Farmina Natural & Delicious Wild Boar Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food
While most Farmina foods include “normal” proteins, the Farmina Natural & Delicious Wild Boar Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food focuses mostly on wild boar. The first ingredient is boar meat. If your cat has allergies, this may be helpful. Wild boar is considered a novel protein, which means it is “new” to most felines. It isn’t common in many foods, so cats don’t eat it often. This also means that fewer cats are allergic to it.
However, this food includes deboned chicken and dehydrated chicken early in the ingredient list. If your cat is allergic to chicken, that makes this food a no-go. Chicken fat is also included, but it doesn’t include any proteins and therefore, won’t upset your feline’s allergies. Furthermore, this animal fat is quite digestible and is a good option for most felines.
Besides these animal proteins, this food includes potatoes as the third ingredient. This is the only significant non-animal ingredient that is high on the list. Dried carrots are also included, but they are much lower on the list and mainly used for vitamin additions.
Much of this food is made with animal products, as you can see from the ingredient list. Seventy percent of the pre-cooked weight is animal ingredients. The other 30% includes fruits, veggies, and other nutrients. This formula is completely grain-free. It is also free from other commonly troublesome ingredients, such as peas, lentils, pea protein, and chickpeas. It is entirely GMO-free as well.
While herring is lower on the list, natural omega fatty acids are indeed included. These can improve your cat’s skin and coat, which can be particularly helpful for cats with certain health conditions. Because it doesn’t include many carbohydrates, this food is also considered low-glycemic.
Overall, this food is high in protein. Even when compared to other high-quality food options, this food is much higher in protein and fat. Carbohydrates are low. This fits what your feline needs to thrive.
3. Farmina Natural & Delicious Prime Boar & Apple Canned Cat Food
The Farmina Natural & Delicious Prime Boar & Apple Canned Cat Food is one of the company’s few wet foods. It includes boar as the first ingredient and herring as the second. Both are quality protein sources for most felines. Herring includes plenty of omega fatty acids, which are helpful for your cat’s skin and coat health. These fatty acids may also play a role in brain health.
Eggs are included as the third ingredient and include many different vitamins and minerals that our cats need to thrive. Potatoes are listed as the fourth ingredient and are the main source of carbohydrates in this formula. While cats do need a few carbohydrates, the inclusion of sweet potatoes may add a bit too much. Still, this food includes quite a bit of protein and is nutritionally complete for any cat.
This food is entirely legume and lentil-free. It is also non-GMO and gluten-free and technically, grain-free. However, potatoes are a starchy veggie and are similar to grains. There is no added broth or water to this formula, so it is quite thick. The cans contain absolutely no BPA and are safe for your feline to eat from. This food is also free from thickeners like cassia, gums, and guar.
This food is costly, however. This is largely because of the rare and high-quality protein sources included.
What Other Users Are Saying
What Other Users Are SayingMany users proclaimed that their feline loved this company’s products and that they even helped improve their cat’s health. Farmina is more expensive than most cat food, which can be a problem for many families. Quite a few people complained that the price seemed to rise substantially over time, which made it difficult for them to give their feline this food for the long term. Sometimes, product prices seemed to double in price overnight.
While this food is made with high-quality ingredients, some cats don’t seem to like it. This can be said about just about any cat food, though. Felines tend to be picky creatures. Some may love this food, but others may only tolerate it. This is mostly based on your cat’s preference and isn’t a sign that the food is low-quality.
Some cats don’t like the thickness of the wet food in particular. There is no added broth or water, which does raise the overall calorie content of the food. This means you’re getting more bang for your buck because you aren’t paying for water. However, it does leave the food quite thick and meaty, which some cats don’t like. You can add water at home, though, if your cat wants their food to be a bit soupier.
Reviews for both the dry foods and the wet foods were excellent. Many cat owners reported an increase in their feline’s health, so this formula may be particularly good for sicker cats. While this brand doesn’t have a specific senior formula, its adult foods are quite suitable for older cats, so you may want to consider one of them for your feline.
Overall, there were few bad things that we could find about this food. Most negative reviews were simply involving particular cats not eating it, which is to be expected with any cat food. It seems that many owners who tried this brand continue to use it well into the future.
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Conclusion
Farmina is high-quality cat food in many regards. It includes quality ingredients and high levels of protein. Many of its formulas include novel proteins, like boar. Most include quite a few fish as well, with herring being the most common. These foods include omega fatty acids, which are essential for your feline’s health but are commonly left out of cat’s food.
This brand is quite expensive, though. It is one of the most expensive options on the market. However, some owners find it worth the extra cost.
Featured Image Credit: Farmina, Chewy
