Research into positive emotional states in pigs reveals a cognitively sophisticated species capable of joy, play and optimism, with implications for welfare standards.
Evidence for positive emotional experiences in pigs challenges the minimal welfare standards common in industrial pig farming. Pigs are not merely pain-avoiding machines but sentient animals capable of joy, curiosity and social engagement. Farming systems that actively promote positive emotional states through enrichment, social stability, and natural behaviour expression produce measurably better outcomes for animal welfare and human-animal relationships.