Research increasingly demonstrates that pig welfare is not just about absence of suffering but about the presence of positive emotional states. Understanding what promotes pig happiness changes how we think about good welfare.
Welfare science has shifted from a deficit model — preventing suffering — toward a positive model that asks what animals need to flourish. Pigs in enriched environments with rooting material, outdoor access, and stable social groups show more play, more positive vocalisations, and cognitive test performance consistent with optimistic emotional states. These are not luxuries but indicators of normal pig psychological functioning. Intensive production systems that prevent play, rooting, and social stability deny pigs the conditions under which they can experience positive welfare states.