In 2007, James Bowen was at one of the lowest points in his life.
He had moved from Australia to London, and at first, he lived with his sister. But things didn’t work out with her, and he ended up living on the streets. He ended up living on the streets for 10 years, and he spent his days busking, trying to make ends meet.
Eventually, James got into a housing program, and he moved into an apartment building. Soon after that, something happened that completely turned James’s life around: he met a cat named Bob.
James found Bob roaming around the hallway in his apartment building. The cat was sick, and so James rushed him to the vet. The vet prescribed medicine for the cat, and he also told James the cat was around ten months old.
James brought Bob home and nursed him back to health.
After Bob recovered, James asked people around the neighborhood if they knew who Bob belonged to. But nobody claimed him, and James realized he was a stray. James didn’t think he could care for Bob, so he tried to send him on his way. But Bob kept coming back, and James realized that Bob had chosen him.
And so, James decided to adopt Bob.
One day, Bob followed James to the bus when James was going busking. James decided to take Bob with him.
Bob climbed onto James’s shoulders and rested there while James played. Bob was a huge hit with everyone walking by! Soon, Bob started accompanying James every day, and the two began to gain a following.
“It was at that point I felt ‘well I am going to have to start taking responsibility for this little creature if he’s going to be following me around’. It’s not like you can really tell a cat what to do. They do what they want to do,” James told SMH.
In 2011, a literary agent happened to walk by James and Bob, and he was intrigued by their story.
He encouraged James to write his and Bob’s story with the help of a ghost-writer. James wrote the book, which he called A Street Cat Named Bob, and it ended up becoming a best-seller. There’s even been a movie adaptation of the book—naturally, Bob played himself!
“Bob is such a smart little man. He opens doors. I have caught him using the loo (toilet) in my flat (apartment),” James told USA Today. “Most cats are loners, but Bob loves hanging out with me. We’re partners and best mates.”
James has now bought a house on the outer edge of London, where he and Bob happily spend their days together. In March 2019, James celebrated his 40th birthday, and Bob was there to celebrate with him! These two love each other more than anything.
When Bob found James, James was at his lowest point. Now, James has been able to completely turn his life around, and it’s all thanks to this sweet ginger cat! If you want to learn more about James and Bob, check out the video below.
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