Bob, A Stray Cat

If walking through the neighborhoods of London you come across a man carrying a pussycat on his shoulder, don’t be surprised. It’s probably James Bowen and his “partner” Bob. The peculiar story of how a person with addictions and a stray cat saved each other, became a best seller and even has its film version. Here we tell you some more than interesting details.

The story of the young addict who was saved by a stray cat and vice versa

It all started in 2007 when Bowen, a drug addict in his thirties who survived playing guitar on the street, found a red-haired cat at the door of his apartment. It was a cold day and the little animal gladly accepted the invitation to enter. Actually, it was what I was looking for.

It was then that the young man noticed that the kitten was injured. Neither slow nor lazy he took him to the Humane Society and spent what little money he had on antibiotics to cure the stray cat.

A short time later, the recovered feline began to follow the musician when he left the house. Until one day he got on the bus that the young man took to go to the Covent Garden area, where he worked.

Bob and James, quite a show

This is how the already baptized Bob began to accompany his human friend in his music show. The mere presence of the animal attracted the attention of passersby. But as you may have already noticed that this is not an “ordinary” cat, the usual thing was for Bowen to finish each musical theme with a “clash” of the hand and set sail with the pussycat.

The truth is that the boy went on to earn in hours the money he collected in a week. Soon the images of the cat wearing a scarf perched on the musician’s shoulder, or keeping him company while he played the guitar, began to go viral on the internet.

Some time later they made a newspaper article for the local Islington Tribune magazine . And it was not long before a literary agent appeared in their lives who proposed to tell the story.

From the streets to the bookstores and to the movies

By then Bowen, who had managed to get away from drugs, wrote the novel A Stray Cat Named Bob, where he recounts in great detail how the encounter with the kitten changed – saved – his life.

The book soon became a best seller – more than a million copies were sold – and it transcended the borders of the United Kingdom. In fact, it was translated into thirty languages. And it also had its version adapted for children.

At this point it was logical that such a peculiar story of real life was taken to the cinema. In 2016 the film was released directed by Roger Spottiswoode, and with Luke Treadaway in the role of Bowen. And who do you think played Bob? Well, himself, of course. Even a movie star was the pussycat.

We leave a link to see some images of the film.

It is always good for cats to choose us

With the economy resolved, man and cat have not lost their tricks. They are still often seen roaming the streets of London. Bowen has become a contributor to various NGOs and until recently sold The Big Issue , a newspaper to help the homeless. In these circumstances, Bob was always with him on his shoulder. And if it was cold, the kitten wore one of the many scarves that are given to him every day.

The truth is that this story, if it were not real, would have to be invented. Life always gives a new opportunity if you know how to take.

So if any of these days you find out that a cat has chosen you, don’t ignore it. They cannot imagine all the good that fate can bring them if they decide to accept his proposal. Dare to find out.

Source: Facebook of James Bowen and a stray cat named Bob