Bob The Stray, A Real Street Cat
If you are in London and you meet a man in the street with a cat on his shoulder, don’t be alarmed. It must be James Bowen and his street cat Bob.
The strange story of a drug addict and the street hangover , and how the two saved each other, became a bestseller that even got its own theatrical version. Here we tell you some really interesting details of the story.
The story of a young drug addict who was rescued from a street hangover … and vice versa
It all started in 2007 when Bowen, a thirty-year-old drug addict who survived from playing the guitar in the street, one day found a red cat on the stairs to his apartment. It was a cold day and the animal gratefully accepted the invitation to warm up a little in the apartment. It had been waiting for that.
At that moment the young man noticed that the velvet paw was injured. He quickly took the hangover to an animal welfare association and spent the last of his money on antibiotics to cure the hangover.
A short time later the animal recovered. It began to follow the musician when he went outside. One day he got on the bus the singer was taking to Covent Garden to work.
Bob and James, a real spectacle
So it came about that the street cat, who was now called Bob, became part of James’ music show. The sheer presence of the animal caught the attention of passers-by. As you may have noticed, Bob isn’t your normal hangover, so Bowen ended almost every song with a handshake with his velvet paw.
Suddenly the young man was earning in hours what usually took a week. The pictures of the street cat with a scarf quickly went viral on the Internet. He was seen sitting on his owner’s shoulder or accompanying him as he played his guitar.
A little later an article about him was published in the Islington Tribune newspaper . And it wasn’t long before a literary agent stepped into their lives and offered to tell their story.
From the streets to the bookstores and to the cinema
It so happened that Bowen, who by then had left drugs behind, wrote the novel Bob the Stray . In the book he tells in great detail how his meeting with Bob changed and saved his life.
The book quickly became a bestseller – more than a million copies sold – and was also published outside of the UK. It was translated into 30 languages and there was even a children’s version.
It was only logical that such a strange real-life adventure would make it to the cinema. In 2016, the film directed by Roger Spottiswoode actually hit theaters. Luke Treadaway played the role of Bowen. And who do you think played Bob? Himself, of course. So the cat even became a movie star.
Here you can see the preview of the film.
It’s always a good sign when the cats choose us
Even if they are doing quite well economically now, the man and his cat have not shed all old habits. You can still see them walking the streets of London. Bowen has joined various non-governmental organizations and until recently sold The Big Issue , the British homeless newspaper.
Bob always went with him and sat on his shoulder. When it was cold, the cat always wore one of the many scarves that were given to him.
If this story hadn’t actually happened it would have had to be invented. Life always gives us a new opportunity if we know how to take it.
So if one day you notice that a cat has picked you, don’t ignore it. You do not know what wonderful things fate will offer you when you take in the cat. Accept the challenge.
Image Sources: Facebook of James Bowen and Bob the Stray
