Crooked Cats: Beastly Encounters in the Anthropocene

Big cats that prey on humans are reimagined as "crooked" in Nayanika Mathur's groundbreaking work, Crooked Cats, which challenges colonial and conservationist accounts and places them at the center of understanding the climate crisis. Through ethnographic storytelling, the book offers new insights into the governance of nonhuman animals and their intimate entanglements with humans, illuminating the Anthropocene as a method, a way of reframing human-nonhuman relations, and a political tool.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 224 pages
\n Publication date: 16 July 2021
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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Big cats, including tigers, leopards, and lions, that prey on humans are often referred to as "man-eaters." However, anthropologist Nayanika Mathur offers a different perspective in her groundbreaking work, "Crooked Cats." She reconceptualizes these animals as cats that have deviated from their natural path and become "crooked." Mathur's research, spanning fifteen years in India, goes beyond colonial and conservationist narratives to center crooked cats at the forefront of understanding the planet in crisis.

The ecological collapse is considered a central factor in why big cats prey on humans. However, the precise cause of crookedness remains uncertain. In "Crooked Cats," Mathur delves into the intricate complexities that arise from this lack of knowledge, offering startling insights into the governance of nonhuman animals and their intimate relationships with humans. Through creative ethnographic storytelling, the book illuminates the Anthropocene in three critical ways: as a method, as a way of reframing human-nonhuman relations on the planet, and as a political tool indicating the urgency of academic engagement.

Mathur weaves together "beastly tales" derived from her encounters with big cats, deepening our understanding of the causes, consequences, and conceptualization of the climate crisis. By placing crooked cats at the center of her research, Mathur challenges traditional narratives and offers a fresh perspective on the complex interplay between humans, nonhuman animals, and the environment. "Crooked Cats" is a valuable contribution to the field of anthropology and environmental studies, shedding light on the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration and a deeper understanding of our planet's challenges.

\n Weight: 402g\n
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226771892\n \n