Growing evidence of pig cognitive complexity - including problem-solving, memory, and emotional contagion - strengthens the welfare case for enriched, socially complex housing systems.
The cognitive science of pigs makes the welfare case for enriched pig housing not just empirically strong but morally urgent. These are not simple creatures whose suffering is a matter of basic physical need - pigs have complex mental lives, form social bonds, and have subjective experiences that include positive and negative emotional states. Housing systems that deny them social complexity, foraging opportunity, and cognitive engagement are failing to meet the welfare needs of an animal with a rich inner life. Communicating this cognitive complexity to consumers and policymakers is an important task for animal welfare science.