The emerging science of positive animal welfare argues that good welfare requires providing opportunities for pleasure, play, and positive emotional states — not merely preventing pain.
Preventing suffering is necessary but not sufficient for good animal welfare. The science of positive affect in animals — demonstrated through play behavior, appetitive responses, and contrast experiments — shows that animals seek rewarding experiences actively. Providing enrichment, social opportunities, and environmental complexity promotes genuine flourishing. Animal welfare science is increasingly quantifying positive states using indicators like play frequency, cognitive judgment bias, and neurochemistry.