Pig Sentience and Cognition

General Tips

Use questions to encourage reflection, such as: “If we acknowledge pigs feel joy, fear, and pain, how can we justify causing them harm for food we don’t need?”

Make it relatable by drawing parallels to pets: Compare pigs’ intelligence and emotional capacity to dogs or cats, as people often feel more empathy for animals they relate to.

Your goal isn’t just to list facts about pig intelligence—it’s to challenge their assumptions about moral worth and highlight how pigs’ sentience makes their treatment in animal agriculture unjust.

Remind Them That Sentience, Not Intelligence, Is What Matters

People may focus too much on intelligence as a measure of moral worth. While pigs are highly intelligent, their ability to suffer is what truly makes their treatment unjust.

• “If intelligence determined moral worth, then infants or people with cognitive disabilities would have fewer rights—but we know that’s not true. What matters is sentience: the ability to feel pleasure, pain, and emotions.”
• A dog may not be as intelligent as a chimpanzee, but we still recognize their suffering matters. If pigs are sentient and suffer, why treat them differently?”

Why? This refocuses the conversation on what actually matters for ethical treatment—pigs’ capacity to feel, not just their intelligence.

Emphasize That Pigs Are Emotionally Complex and Empathetic

People often assume that pigs lack emotions or social bonds. Show them that pigs are not only sentient but also experience emotions in complex, socially aware ways.

• “Pigs can recognize each other’s emotions and even respond to the stress of other pigs. That means they don’t just feel—they care about how others feel.”
• “There are documented cases of pigs saving their human companions, which shows both intelligence and empathy. Would you say an animal capable of compassion deserves to be treated as a product?”

Why? This forces them to see pigs as individuals with emotional depth, not just food animals.

Highlight Pigs’ Long-Term Memory and Object Recognition

Some people think pigs only act on instinct. Show that they actually retain information over time and recognize objects and individuals.

• “Pigs can remember objects for days, which indicates strong long-term memory. Doesn’t that suggest they are thinking, feeling beings rather than simple farm animals?”
• “They can distinguish between different objects and individuals—whether pigs or humans. If we recognize intelligence in dogs for this, why not pigs?”

Why? This challenges the assumption that pigs have no awareness beyond immediate experience.

Show That Pigs Can Think Abstractly and Understand Symbols

Some people assume that pigs lack problem-solving abilities. Reveal that they understand abstract concepts, which is rare among animals.

• “Pigs can learn the meaning of symbols representing both actions and objects. Some have even been taught to respond to phrases like ‘fetch the ball.’ Doesn’t that show complex cognition?”
• “If a dog did this, we would call it smart. If a pig does it, why do we pretend it doesn’t matter?”

Why? This shifts their perception from viewing pigs as simple-minded animals to recognizing their cognitive sophistication.

Use the Fact That Pigs Can Use Tools

Using tools is often seen as a hallmark of intelligence. Make sure they understand that pigs are one of the few species documented to do this.

• “Pigs have been recorded using sticks and bark to dig or perform other tasks. Doesn’t that sound like the kind of intelligence we admire in primates?”
• “If pigs can problem-solve and use tools, why do we dismiss their intelligence when we recognize it in animals like crows and chimpanzees?”

Why? This disrupts the belief that pigs are passive, unintelligent beings.

Explain That Pigs Are Self-Aware and Socially Intelligent

People often claim that pigs lack self-awareness. But research shows they understand themselves in relation to the world around them.

• “Pigs have been taught to play video games, using joysticks to control a cursor. That means they understand their own actions influence external objects—something many animals cannot do.”
• “They can find hidden food by using a mirror, which is considered a test of self-awareness. If we say this proves intelligence in other animals, why not pigs?”

Why? This undermines the assumption that pigs lack higher-order thinking.

Show That Pigs Have a Sense of the Future

People assume animals only live in the moment. Prove that pigs can anticipate future events, just like humans.

• “Pigs react negatively to sounds associated with future negative events. That means they don’t just feel in the moment—they anticipate what’s coming.”
• “If pigs can foresee and dread negative experiences, doesn’t that make their suffering in factory farms and slaughterhouses even more unjust?”

Why? This shifts the conversation from suffering as a short-term experience to long-term emotional harm.

Challenge the “Pigs Are Just Animals” Mindset

Some people accept that pigs are intelligent but still see them as fundamentally lesser.

• “Dr. Donald Bloom of Cambridge University said pigs are more cognitively sophisticated than dogs and even three-year-old humans.

Counter the “Humane Farming” Justification

Even when people accept pigs’ intelligence, they may say that modern farming is humane. Challenge this by focusing on their natural needs.

• “Even on the best farms, pigs are denied the ability to form deep social bonds, explore, and engage in their natural behaviors. No matter how ‘humane’ the conditions, their sentience makes confinement and slaughter inherently harmful.”
• “If intelligence and emotional depth make suffering worse for humans, wouldn’t it do the same for pigs?”

Why? This exposes the contradiction in acknowledging pig sentience while defending their exploitation.

Leave Them With a Thought-Provoking Question

If they resist, don’t argue—just leave them with something to consider.

• “If pigs are emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and capable of suffering, what justifies treating them as products rather than individuals?”

• “If pigs can recognize emotions, learn symbols, and use tools, how are they different from animals we consider worthy of protection?”

Why? A strong question stays with them longer than a debate.