A Street Cat Named Bob: How one man and his cat found hope on the streets

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Following the announcement of Bob's death, The Big Issue magazine was inundated with tributes, messages and memories of Bob from all over the world. [9] Books and films [ edit ] James Bowen is an author and musician currently based in London. He is author of A Street Cat Named Bob, which tells his life story. Paul McNamee, editor of The Big Issue, said: “First Bob changed James Bowen’s life, then he changed the world. He meant a great deal to The Big Issue and was a huge part of our story, as The Big Issue was to his story. Creo que con decir que "Un gato callejero llamado Bob" es la historia en la que he encontrado mayor respeto y cariño por parte de un ser humano hacia otro ser de diferente especie, en este caso un gato, ya os podéis imaginar lo muchísimo que he disfrutado leyéndola. Y no solo es cariño y respeto, es que en ningún momento hay "justificaciones" al respecto. Y lo digo porque cuando leo libros que tratan sobre relaciones bonitas entre humanos y gatos, donde hay mucho cariño y mucho respeto, también hay siempre constantes justificaciones tipo "lo quiero pero no estoy loco", "no soy un loco de los gatos" o "aunque me preocupe no estoy mal de la cabeza". Siempre noto ese regustillo feo, por muy buena intención que tenga la obra, de aclarar a los lectores menos sensibilizados con el tema de que el protagonista no es un bicho a raro pese a que ame y respete a otra especie que no sea humana, casi como si se avergonzara en parte, como si fuera una debilidad. James nunca trata a Bob como un ser inferior, tiene claro que están al mismo nivel. Y esto no es fácil de encontrar.

James Bowen is a homeless man and former heroin addict, living on the streets of London and down to his last bits of change. After a life-threatening drug-related incident, his support worker Val gets him into a council flat and prescribes him methadone in an attempt to get him off the street. On his first night in his flat James discovers a cat rifling through his food. Assuming the cat had escaped from somewhere, James tries to return the cat to his real owners. That first day, James carried Bob on his shoulder to keep him safely out of traffic. The walk from the bus stop to his preferred spot usually took a few minutes, but so many people stopped James to talk about Bob that he was late setting up. When he was finally in place, Bob settled down in James's guitar case and began attracting a great deal of attention. That day, James earned three times as much money as usual. He treated himself and Bob to a nice dinner. A close encounter with police for busking in a prohibited area made James realize he had to find a better way to earn money. He became accredited with a program that set people up selling magazines. Again, James found that Bob attracted the attention of people who might not otherwise have stopped, and he learned to manage his small business. He reconnected with his mother and began to mend that relationship. He still felt his responsibility toward Bob meant he could not leave London. As the novel ends, Bob and James settled into their lives with James taking steps toward making their lives better.As Bob constantly followed Bowen when he was going to work, Bowen bought Bob a harness for safety and allowed him to come along to his regular spots in Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus, travelling in the window seat of the number 73 bus. The public reaction was positive and the pair became locally well known, their visibility increasing still further when Bowen began selling The Big Issue. The public began uploading videos of Bowen and Bob to YouTube and tourists would visit Covent Garden to see them. During this time, Bowen decided to conclude his methadone treatment. He credits this development to Bob, saying "I believe it came down to this little man. He came and asked me for help and he needed me more than I needed to abuse my own body. He is what I wake up for every day now. He’s definitely given me the right direction to live my life". [5] Bob's later life and death [ edit ] Profits from And Then Came Bob were donated to The Big Issue Foundation, supporting homeless people across the UK. [31] [25] Bowen and his team made a bid to get And Then Came Bob to a UK Christmas No. 1 in 2018. [32] [33] Awards [ edit ] There’s never been a cat like him. And never will again. I feel like the light has gone out in my life. I will never forget him.” A Stellar line-up competes for this year's Specsavers National Book Awards". National Book Awards 2014. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016 . Retrieved 2 November 2015. And friends aren’t limited to other humans. Anyone who has had a beloved pet will know exactly what I mean. The thing about other people is that they can eventually turn on you and then vanish out of your life. Ghosting, the millennials call it. Non-human friends, on the other hand, remain loyal unto death. And here Bob becomes his human’s second chance: he changes his life.

Though James wanted to avoid his past, he continued to make daily trips to health agencies as part of his drug rehabilitation program. He continued to take methadone until he decided he was ready to get completely off the drug dependency, and he endured a terrible few days as the methadone wore off. During those days, Bob remained close to James's side, obviously worried but completely devoted.Una de las cosas más bonitas que nos enseña el propio Bowen en su historia es el gran papel que juega Bob es su recuperación, ya que desde que este aparece en su vida, siente la necesidad de cambiarla, de buscar un mejor futuro que ayude a mantenerlos a salvo tanto a él, como a su mejor amigo, Bob. Una de las cosas que más claras tengo de la vida, es que estoy cien por cien seguro del poder curativo de nuestras relaciones con otros animales. La vida es menos dura y nuestras mentes están más sanas con ellos cerca. Parece que son ellos los que nos necesitan más, pero el libro refleja bien que es más bien al contrario. In spring 2007, Bowen realised he wanted to better himself for the sake of Bob and he decided to quit the heroin he was on and go onto a methadone programme. He continued busking in Covent Garden and living in a supported housing programme in Tottenham, London.

a b "YouTube: James Bowen – And Then Came Bob (Official Video)". YouTube . Retrieved 23 March 2020. Bob to the Rescue is a second children's picture book, written again with Garry Jenkins and illustrated by Gerald Kelley. It was published by Random House in September 2014. StreetCat Bob & James Bowen Demo New Catio (Cat Enclosure) by ProtectaPet". YouTube . Retrieved 29 June 2020. Jobson, Rob. "A Street Cat Named Bob premiere: Kate Middleton stuns in white on the red carpet". London Evening Standarddate=3 November 2016 . Retrieved 3 March 2017.I could relate to the many things that Bob did that amazed James, just how your cat communicates with you in ways you know as the owner. I also learnt a lot in this book about the harsh streets, drugs, veterinary care and how nice people can be as well as horrible really. A Street Cat Named Bob is a 2016 British biographical drama film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and written by Tim John and Maria Nation. It is based on the book of the same name and The World According to Bob by James Bowen. The film stars Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt, Anthony Head, and Bob the Cat as himself. The film premiered in London on 3 November 2016, followed by a general release the next day. The title is a spoof of A Streetcar Named Desire.