What is the difference between a mature pig and a three-year-old human?

Well, they may have the same intelligence levels but you are willing to eat only one of them.

I swear I’m not some crazy vegan, so hear me out. I think it’s entirely too interesting the lack of compassion and empathy humans show farm animals that are domesticated and are considered commodities, regardless of how you feel about eating meat or not.

Here is a list of animals that are probably smarter than your family pooch and maybe even your baby, too.

1. Pigs (pork): if you are eating ham or bacon

Oh, the many names and ways of eating this beautiful, glorious, and highly intelligent animal. They are incredibly smart and actually ranked by some as the fourth most intelligent creature on earth. Research has even shown that a middle-aged pig can be as intelligent as a three-year-old human being!

Pigs have a high level of cognitive memory and memorization skills and can solve challenging problems. They show compassion and forgiveness and even have personality and feelings. Pigs have long-term memory and are very aware of their surroundings. Pigs also show a wide range of emotions and have distinctive individual personalities.

There are so many great articles to check out so you can decide for yourself just how intelligent pigs have been shown to be. . . but just be aware there is A LOT of evidence.

2. Cows (beef): if you are eating steak or veal

Cowsider that the cutest farm animals on the planet might be as smart as they are seemingly cuddly. They have great memories, can form extremely close bonds and friendships, and are very emotional. They are said to have “Eureka” moments and are affected by painful experiences. Cows are also particularly curious and communicative.

Research has shown that cows have cultured cognitive ability and strong decision-making competence. They are critical-thinkers and even can problem solve!

3. Chickens/Turkeys (poultry): if you are eating, well, chicken or turkey

Chickens maybe aren’t as dumb as they look or may seem. Chickens are able to do some puzzles and games, understand cause and effect, choose options, and plan for the future. Hens can even count to six! Chickens are said to dream, have an elaborate communication system, and great memories.

A fun fact about chickens: Young chicks have shown ‘object permanence.’ At even just two days old, when a chick had something taken out of their view, they knew that the object still existed. Object permanence in human babies develops at about four to eight months old. So before you call them "bird-brained," think about the fact that they might be smarter than your new baby.

Turkeys may also be slightly smarter than you think. Turkeys are good at geography, can solve problems, and are curious and analytical.

They aren’t the smartest bird, honestly, but there is a reason to believe they are more intelligent than we imagined.

4. Sheep: if you are eating lamb or mutton

Sheep presumably possess some of the best memory of all animals, with some research providing evidence that they might be better than humans in certain situations. It is also claimed that they may even be almost as smart as pigs, due to their problem-solving ability. They also show many emotions and response to things going on around them, which can indicate a higher level of intelligence.

They are very social and prefer to be in groups. They even make close friends and bonds and are able to remember and recognize the faces of more than 50 other sheep, and even some familiar human’s faces and facial expressions.

Seriously, read this awesome article by BBC to decide for yourself if these amazing animals are smarter than originally presumed.

Most of you will have many different meals consisting of one, many, or even all of these farm animals this holiday season. Whether you choose to eat one or all of them, here is just simply a reminder about how intelligent each animal you are eating is!

No room to judge people in other countries who eat horse, dogs, or cats if you are eating animals with equal intelligence as them! Food for thought!