FARMINA Natural & Delicious Lamb Dry Cat Food Review

I have been feeding my cat Wellness Core Grain-Free Turkey & Duck dry food formula for over two years now. I decided to switch to a different chicken-free formula so I can give my cat Sophie a break from this food because she is getting bored with it. So I purchased Farmina Natural & Delicious Lamb cat food. Even though this dry cat food contains chicken fat, this ingredient doesn’t trigger an allergic response in cats since pure fat doesn’t contain chicken meat (source). I must mention that my cat doesn’t have a chicken allergy, I am just feeding her a chicken-free diet for now. So I decided to try this brand and see if my cat Sophie likes it. Before I bought this bag I read the ingredients and didn’t see the typical red flags I usually see in cat foods (check the red flags on my list of cat food reviews). In this review, I share with you the nutritional value of this food and how my cat Sophie liked it.

Key Features of Farmina N&D Lamb

• Grain-free formula, no grains, corn, wheat, or soy.
• High in protein, 7 animal ingredients in the formula
• Gluten-free
• Pea-free
• Low glycemic
• The source of omega-3 and omega-6 comes from fish oils
• Made in Italy (Lamb is sourced from New Zealand, and vitamins from Belgium).

Ingredients of Farmina N&D Lamb

Lamb, dehydrated lamb, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, dried whole eggs, herring, dehydrated herring, herring oil, pea fiber, dried carrot, suncured alfalfa meal, inulin, fructooligosaccharide, yeast extract, dried blueberry, dried sweet orange, dried pomegranate, dried apple, dried spinach, psyllium seed husk, salt, brewers dried yeast, turmeric, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, beta-carotene, zinc methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, manganese methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, ferrous glycine, copper methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, DL-Methionine, taurine, aloe vera gel concentrate, green tea extract, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols (a preservative).

Caloric Content: 1895 kcal/lb, 410 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis of Farmina N&D Cat Food

Crude Protein 42.0% min – Crude Fat 20.0% min – Crude Fiber 1.8% max – Moisture 10.0% max – Ash 8.9% max – Calcium 1.6% min – Phosphorus 1.3% min – Magnesium 0.11% max – Taurine 0.4% min – Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.4% min – Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.9% min – Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 0.5% min – Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 0.3% min – Glucosamine 900mg/kg min – Chondroitin SulFate 600mg/kg min.

Analysis of the First 5 Ingredients of Farmina N&D Lamb Dry Cat Food

• Lamb (2 stars): Fresh meats are weighed before the cooking process so most of the percentage represents water weight. In the case of lamb, the water weight is about 70%. This meat is easier to digest for cats but fresh lamb meat is better when used in canned food. This ingredient is bad when is followed by a carb on the list, which is not the case in this formula that contains 42% guaranteed protein.
• Dehydrated lamb (4 stars): Easier to digest and has less chance of creating allergies in the cat. One star has been deducted because in the case of dehydrated meats the manufacturer can add some of the extracted water back into the formula.
• Sweet potatoes (3 stars): Better source of energy than white potatoes because they cause less sugar spike in the cat’s blood. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, similar to beets but with much less sugar content and with more vitamin B6, vitamin A, thiamin, and pantothenic acid than beets. However, sweet potatoes provide more carbs than beets.
• Chicken fat (4 stars): Fat from chicken is a healthy source of energy for cats.
• Dried whole eggs (2 stars): Not a high-quality source of protein, on the other hand, being dried preserves a better shelf-life and stability. The good news is that this ingredient is not the main protein source of this formula.

How’s the Kibble of Farmina Lamb

The kibble measures approx. 3/8-inch diameter (8mm) so it’s like on the larger side. My cat has a small jaw and she didn’t have any issues chewing this food. It was better for her because the smaller kibble sometimes fell off her mouth as she was trying to chew it. The color is dark brown and it seems a little oily but not much. That slight oily aspect is the healthy fatty acids coming from fish oil.

I have read other reviewers say that when they opened the bag the food had a fishy smell. But in my case when I opened the bag I didn’t smell any fishy odor. Maybe buying the bag in Chewy makes a difference, they always carry fresh batches. I took a picture of the bag and the product was made in August 2023 and it expires in February 2025 (in Europe, the day is first and the month is second).

How my cat reacted to Farmine N&D Lamb food

I started adding Farmina slowly to her old food. When I started mixing 25% of Farmina with the old food I could see she ate most of the new food and left the old one. The food was mixed but she started picking only the new kibbles haha. When I saw that I knew this food was a winner. Then I mixed 50% of old food and 50% Farmina, and finally, I gave my cat 100% Farmina. She loved it and even purred when eating aww (you can see her in the video).

Sophie switching gradually to Farmina Lamb Cat Food

What are the Pros and cons of Farmina Natural & Delicious Lamb Dry Cat Food?

Here’s the list of all the nutritional benefits I found with this formula and the aspects that don’t represent the ideal in cat food.

PROS

• Provides cats a good source of protein, with 42% in the guaranteed analysis
• Lamb is easier to digest for cats and causes less chance of allergy
• Good choice for cats with an allergy to chicken.
• Low glycemic, it keeps the cat’s blood sugar under control
• Gluten-free, good for cats with allergies to gluten
• Omega fatty acids come from fish oil, the best nutritional form of Omegas for cats.
• A healthy ratio of Omega 3 vs Omega 6 for the cat’s immune system, heart, and coat.
• The level of magnesium 0.1% is good (though we don’t know the maximum %)
• Good balance 1.2:1 of calcium vs phosphorous (1.6%:1.3, respectively). Though, we don’t know the maximum % of each.
• Good level of taurine. The cat’s taurine intake should be at least 19mg/kg body weight per day (source: A comparative study of the “Effect of dietary taurine content on the plasma taurine concentration of the cat”). This ratio means that the minimum daily taurine intake for a cat weighing 10 lb is 85.5 mg of taurine. An average-sized cat weighing 10 lb, and eating 40g of this formula gets 160mg of taurine per day.
• Lower in calories. Feeding the cat with 40g of this food provides about 164 kcal per day. (40 g is the daily intake I suggest for this formula for a 10 lb cat). This is good for indoor cats that need to keep weight under control or even lose some weight. Keeping or losing weight will depend on your cat’s metabolism, some cats lose weight, and some keep the same weight by eating the same portion of a low-calorie cat food daily (source).

CONS

• Levels of DHA and EPA are a little high. If you have an average-sized cat (10 lb) you should feed him about 40g as the maximum daily intake.
• Dried whole eggs are not a high-quality source of protein (though is not the main source of this formula).
• Ash content could be lower

My Thoughts on Farmina Lamb

Farmina Natural & Delicious Lamb dry cat food is a well-balanced formula that contains good ingredients. This food is suitable for cats with chicken allergies and cats who need to keep their weight under control. The fact that fatty acids come from fish oil is an excellent benefit of this formula because cats can fully process this type of omegas, unlike other sources like oils coming from flaxseed. The ash content is a little higher in my opinion even though the manufacturer states that it’s low. The mineral ingredients are balanced if we consider the numbers in the guaranteed analysis that show the minimum percentage, but most formulas do. The way you control mineral intake is by feeding your cat an ideal low portion daily, mixing the diet with a wet formula, and providing your cat with a fresh, clean source of water every day.

Conclusion with my cat Sophie

She likes this formula and it’s easy for her to chew on these kibbles. She hasn’t experienced digestive issues and she seems happy and healthy. For now, my cat is playing normally, her weight is under control, and she eats all her food. Her visits to the litter box are normal as well. I will update my review if I see changes in the long term.

Update (February 2024): My cat’s energy levels have improved, and she is more playful. Also, her coat now looks more shiny than before. Without a doubt, switching to Farmina has been one of the best decisions I have made in feeding my cat.

Bottom Line

I highly recommend Farmina N & D Lamb for adult cats. My cat Sophie has done great with it. I recommend this formula as follows:

• For adult healthy cats.
• For cats with chicken allergy (chicken fat doesn’t trigger allergy).
• For cats that need to keep their weight under control.
• For an average-sized cat (10 lb) I suggest 40g per day or a little less, ideally complement the diet with a good wet food formula.

For cats with a story of sensitive stomachs to cat foods, Lamb may be harder to digest than other types of proteins like chicken or turkey. You may need to try first and see how your cat does with it.

If you like this formula for your cat (like I do), you can get Farmina Natural & Delicious on Chewy with 14% off the regular price, and 35% off on first subscription orders!

Use this link to access this promotion on Chewy.