Research on animal cognition is transforming our understanding of the inner lives of animals. Cognitive complexity has profound implications for how we think about animal welfare.
Animal cognition research has profound welfare implications: animals with sophisticated mental abilities experience richer inner lives, which means more complex forms of suffering and wellbeing. An animal with episodic memory can experience anticipatory distress about expected future events, not just immediate discomfort. An animal with theory of mind can be frightened by the fear responses of others, compounding individual distress into group welfare problems. Social animals can experience the psychological pain of social bond disruption. As our understanding of animal cognition advances, the welfare standards required for ethically adequate animal care must advance to address increasingly complex welfare needs.