Pigs are among the most cognitively complex farm animals, capable of problem-solving, play, and emotional contagion — making enrichment an ethical necessity, not a luxury.
The cognitive richness of pigs makes their typical housing conditions in intensive agriculture a significant welfare concern. Standard confinement systems provide little to engage the mind or body of animals with substantial cognitive and social needs. The science of pig welfare has advanced considerably — we now know pigs have positive emotional states (they play, show anticipatory excitement, and respond to rewards) and negative ones (frustration, fear, despair) that are measurable and reflect their lived experience. Enrichment is not merely about preventing boredom — it is about providing conditions where cognitively complex animals can express their full behavioral repertoire and experience positive emotional states.