Farmina cat food
Farmina can be traced back to 1965, although at the time it was known under a different name ("Russo Feed") and produced food for farms. It was founded by an Italian named Francesco Russo, and thanks to his son, A. Russo, the company shifted its focus to pet food products. He initially collaborated with Farmina Pet Foods (UK), which focused on researching nutritional needs and creating pet food formulas. A merger followed, resulting in the creation of Farmina cat food.
Today, the Italian company Farmina Pet Foods collaborates closely with the Federico Veterinary University to develop new pet food formulas, as well as with the Italian Association of Veterinary Doctors (SCIVAC). Together, Farmina nutritionists conduct various studies, the results of which are published in scientific journals and are freely available.
Guided by the motto "Happy pet. Happy you!", Farmina produces cat food using the latest technology and equips its factories with modern equipment. The company currently has three factories—in Italy, Brazil, and Serbia—and supplies products to 40 countries worldwide across multiple continents (Europe, Africa, and South America). These foods are still new to Russian consumers, as they were introduced to the country relatively recently, in October 2012.
Content
Assortment
Farmina brand products are cat food products presented in two professional and four commercial lines.
Professional diets include the Vet Life veterinary diet category, which includes 12 types of specialized nutrition. Diets in this series help animals overcome various illnesses or provide organ support for certain chronic conditions.
These include formulas for kidney health (Renal), liver health (Hepatic), diabetes (Diabetic), heart failure (Cardiac), and kidney stones (Struvite). These diets are recommended only under veterinary supervision. Farmina Vet Life cat food receives positive reviews from veterinarians. This line also includes a special menu for spayed/neutered animals and a Hairball formula for hairball control.
The second category of food in the professional line, called Team Breeder, is aimed at cattery owners. It offers 14 menu options, available in 10 kg packages. A dedicated cattery program demonstrates Farmina's serious approach to cat food, and feedback from grateful breeders confirms this.
The commercial segment of diets includes the Natural & Delicious (N) lines&D), CIMiAO, Matisse, and Fun Cat. All of these products belong to different classes and vary in composition and price.
Natural & Delicious (N) line&D) – these are two types of diets: grain-free (with a green leaflet on the package) and low-grain (yellow leaflet).
The manufacturer claims that the grain-free diets are 70% animal products, with potatoes instead of grains. They are available in six flavors: for kittens, for adults with chicken and pomegranate, with fish and orange, with wild boar and apple, with lamb and blueberries, and for sterilized pets, also with chicken and pomegranate. Available in 0.3 kg, 1.5 kg, 5 kg, and 10 kg packs.
In Natural & Delicious (N) low grain recipes&D) contains spelt and oats, which are considered more suitable for cats than corn. However, spelt is essentially the same wheat, but wild. It has several advantages over regular wheat and is considered more nutritious. The entire range consists of four menus: chicken with pomegranate, cod with orange, lamb with blueberries, and a formula for neutered cats, also featuring chicken and pomegranate. Available in 0.3 kg, 1.5 kg, and 10 kg packages.
The CIMiAO line of diets is Farmina's super-premium cat food, featuring not only chicken and fish but also corn and rice. The entire category consists of ten diets, differentiated by age criteria and the individual needs of our felines. Available in 0.4 kg, 2 kg, and 15 kg packages.
While all previous categories exclusively offered Farmina dry cat food, the Matisse premium line offers five dry menus, plus a full range of wet foods. The Matisse dry food range includes a formula for kittens, a formula for adult cats (over one year old), and three flavors: chicken-turkey, tuna-salmon, and chicken-rice, as well as diets for neutered and spayed male and female cats.
Matisse wet food comes in mousse form in 85-gram jars, and there's a wide selection of flavors:
- With veal;
- With sardine;
- With salmon;
- With a rabbit;
- With lamb;
- With cod;
- With beef;
- With chicken;
There are also canned goods in 400-gram jars, divided into pates of four flavors (with veal, salmon, chicken, and rabbit), and pieces in gravy, of which there are also four varieties - chicken, beef, a mix of beef and chicken, and beef with turkey and vegetables.
Farmina's Fun Cat line offers the lowest price of any cat food in this brand's portfolio. It's an economy-class option, offering just two flavors: meat flavor and fish flavor. Available in 2.4 kg and 20 kg packages.
Analysis and evaluation of composition
For review and more detailed analysis, a diet was selected from the line, which is undoubtedly the favorite among all Farmina formulas - Natural & Delicious cat food (N&D) Grain-free with chicken and pomegranate. It is marketed as a complete diet for adult pets, with a formula tailored to the needs of a carnivorous animal.
Here is the guaranteed nutritional composition, which is listed on the official Russian-language website:
- Proteins – 44% – above average, within acceptable limits;
- Fat and oils – 20% – a high figure, but within optimal limits;
- Fiber – 1.8% – below average;
- Ash content – 8.5% – normal value;
Looking at this balance, we don't see any critical shifts in the percentages, but we believe the fiber content is insufficient. According to a rough estimate, the carbohydrate percentage here shouldn't exceed 20%, which is a good figure. These nutrient proportions are optimal for pets with active lifestyles and access to the outdoors.
The manufacturer emphasizes that 70% of the diet consists of animal products, and the remaining 30% is fruits and vegetables, plus healthy plants and supplements.
The list of all ingredients in the food consists of 28 items, of which approximately 9 are devoted to herbal extracts and various additives. We focus our attention only on the first components, as they form the basis of the formula and determine the overall quality of the product:
- Fresh boneless chicken meat – 30%;
- Dehydrated chicken meat – 28%;
- Potato;
- Chicken fat;
- Dehydrated whole eggs;
These were the top five ingredients, followed by ingredients whose contribution to the overall formula is significantly less. Items 6 and 7 are fresh herring and dehydrated herring, followed by fish oil and hydrolyzed animal proteins. Further down the nutrient list are pea fiber, vegetables and fruits (dried carrots, apples, sweet orange), herbs and berries (dried alfalfa, pomegranate powder (0.5%), blueberries, black currants, psyllium (0.3%), and calendula extract). Plus additives such as brewer's yeast, turmeric root (0.2%), chondroprotectors, sodium chloride, and others.
The manufacturer does not provide a clear percentage content of all components; the exact quantity is indicated only for the first two components and for some additives.
The basic recipe appears generally sound and raises no concerns. There's just one caveat: 30% of the fresh chicken meat will lose its water content during the food production process, and its share will be around 9-10%, which would push it down from the top spot. It's probably even less present than potatoes in this menu.
Squirrels
As we've already seen, the main protein ingredients are #1 and #2, fresh and dehydrated chicken meat, and #5, dehydrated whole eggs. All of these are high-quality and easily digestible by animals. This is certainly a major plus for this diet.
It also contains fresh and dehydrated herring—also high-quality ingredients, but their quantity doesn't significantly impact the overall recipe. There's also hydrolyzed animal protein—an ingredient that, in this case, serves more as a natural flavoring than a source of protein.
Fats
Chicken fat, a healthy and high-quality source of lipids, is ranked number four. Fish oil, though quite beneficial, is listed eighth, but we know absolutely nothing about it (neither its origin nor its quality).
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrates here come primarily from potatoes. Dried apples and spinach, considered low-glycemic foods and welcomed in cat food, also contribute a small amount.
Other feed components
The range of additional ingredients, including various herbal supplements, berries, and fruits, all beneficial for health and rich in vitamins and minerals, is truly impressive. The formula also includes aloe vera, green tea, and rosemary extracts. This formula also contains salt (sodium chloride), likely to encourage the cat to drink more, thereby preventing urinary tract infections. The formula also includes prebiotics: inulin, FOS, and MOS.
Although this Farmina diet is marketed as "chicken and pomegranate" cat food, the amount of pomegranate is very small. It could just as easily have been called "chicken and plantain"—in other words, it's simply a marketing ploy.
Each individual supplement may not play a significant role in the overall product, but together they enhance each other's properties and truly contribute to maintaining health and strengthening the body's defenses.
Advantages and disadvantages
The overall analysis of the feed leaves little to be desired, but we did notice some flaws in the composition:
- The fiber content is slightly low;
- The presence of several ingredients of dubious origin;
Among the main advantages are:
- Availability of fresh meat;
- Almost all components are of very high quality;
- A variety of functional and beneficial additives;
- Complete absence of grains;
Reviews of Farmina food
Although this food is new to our consumers, reviews of Farmina diets can still be found. It has already gained a following, although there are also some negative reviews.
Oksana, a Bengal cat:
"My Max didn't immediately take to the new N&D food. He even protested and didn't eat anything for a whole day. We had to tinker and try different foods from the entire line. We finally settled on the boar meat with apple. At first, Max ate it without enthusiasm, but after a week, he'd already reached his daily requirement. He looks amazing, his fur is shiny and shimmering. His output has decreased compared to his old food, which means he's digesting it better. I'm completely satisfied, thank you, Farmina, for this food."
Alexey, 5-month-old kitten:
"I don't have time to prepare natural food for my cat, so I decided to find her a good one. I think the main drawback of this diet is the price, although my tabby eats a little, of course, but she still eats. Plus, I just don't understand why kittens need chondroprotectors in their food. When I first started giving N&D Kitten, I had digestion issues, specifically with softening stools, but everything improved within five or six days."
The opinion of veterinarians
The veterinarian reviews we were able to find of Farmina cat food only pertain to the therapeutic line of diets and are generally positive. However, we haven't found any veterinarian reviews of the Natural & Delicious line; perhaps they're not yet as popular on the market.
Price
Price of Farmina Natural & Delicious grain-free cat food with chicken and pomegranate:
- 0.3 kg – from 378 RUR
- 1.5 kg – from 1429 RUR
- 5 kg – from 3514 RUR
- 10 kg – from 6568 RUR
Compared to the previous low-grain feed Farmina Natural & Delicious for Cats price lower:
- 0.3 kg – from 269 RUR
- 1.5 kg – from 965 RUR
- 5 kg – from 2915 RUR
- 10 kg – from 5448 RUR
In conclusion, we believe this diet is head and shoulders above most super-premium foods and a worthy competitor in the holistic nutrition segment. Its price may seem high, but a high-quality product is never cheap. This food is recommended as a daily menu for a healthy and active pet.
We also suggest you learn more about Formina soft foods:
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