Homeless drug addict James Bowen makes his living by playing the guitar, playing on the streets of London. In the evenings, he wanders about the city, collecting leftovers in the dumpsters of restaurants and looking for change in telephone booths. He has been trying to quit with drugs for a long time, but every time he lacks the strength to overcome his addiction. On the next evening, he walks through the city in search of shelter for the night and is noticed by his familiar homeless Baz, who climbed into the car, since the owner left it open. Baz invites James to spend the night together in the car. At the same time, Baz has drugs with him, which he offers to the hero. At first, the guy refuses, but then he still accepts them.

The next morning, Baz wakes up from the fact that the owner of the car notices them. He tries to wake up James, but he doesn't get up. Baz escapes and Bowen is woken up by the owner of the car, but he is still unconscious. James wakes up in the hospital. His curator Val is angry with him, because he broke down again, and besides, he mixed methadone, which is used to combat drug addiction, with heroin, from which he had an overdose. Val warns that next time will be his last. In addition, the guy was also diagnosed with hepatitis. Then the guy leaves the hospital and re-signs the necessary documents, promising Val that this time he will be treated and will not fail. The girl asks to play the guitar for her, which he does, since this is the only way he can repay for kindness.

The guy goes out again and collects pennies for his guitar performances. Val nevertheless believes in him, and therefore she manages to knock him out a house, but on condition that he does not break loose. James thanks Val and for the first time in a long time lives in a real apartment and takes a bath. In the evening, the hero hears a noise, and it seems to him that someone broke into the apartment, but then he notices a ginger cat who climbed through the window. The cat is clearly hungry and James offers him milk. Then he wants to let the animal out into the street, but the cat is not going to leave. Then the hero decides that he will leave him for the night, and tomorrow he will go in search of his owners. The next day, he and the cat bypasses the neighbors, but no one has lost the cat. Then James again goes to perform in the city, and says goodbye to the cat.

After the speech, James notices his father, who clearly wanted to pass by, since he had long come to terms with the fact that his son was a drug addict. James wants to spend Christmas together, but his father's new wife is clearly against it. The father gives the hero some money and then leaves. When the guy returns home, he again notices a cat at his doorstep. Moreover, he is clearly wounded. James takes the cat in his arms and again goes in search of its owners. He notices a neighbor and asks if it's her cat. The girl is worried about the animal, and therefore invites them to enter. She examines the wound and informs them that they need to go to the veterinary hospital, where she sometimes works part-time. Treatment will be free. The girl says that her name is Betty, and also gives the name to the cat - Bob.

James, along with Bob, goes to the hospital, but it turns out that he has to defend a long queue. Time passes, and the hero realizes that he is late for a meeting with Val, but he promised her that now he will always come on time. He is about to leave when the reception is informed that his turn has come. The cat is examined and the wound is healed, however, medications are prescribed, which are by no means free of charge. For them, James has to give all his money that he had, as well as the money that his father gave him earlier in the day. At home, James tries to get the cat to drink the medicine, but he refuses. The hero tries for a long time, but to no avail. Then he decides to seek help from his neighbor Betty, and the girl does it with ease, since she has experience with animals. The girl also reports that Bob needs to be castrated.

The couple then continues to communicate. Betty mentions that there are too many drug addicts around, so James decides to hide the truth from her. He says that he is a musician, and recently came to the city, and he himself traveled a lot. He also tells her the truth that his parents separated when he was still little, and his mother took him to Australia. The next morning, the hero goes to meet with Val and apologizes for missing the meeting. He tells her the truth about everything that happened to him yesterday, but the girl does not like it, because James is experiencing too strong emotions, and this can interfere with his recovery, but still she notices that he looks better. However, she thinks that to him. it is worth stopping communication with Betty, because besides, he began to lie to her at the first meeting.

After a couple of weeks, Bob is castrated and put on an Elizabethan collar. The cat doesn't like him at all, so James decides to take it off so as not to torment the cat. When the hero once again goes to the city to perform on the street, that Bob is tied behind him. James decides to carry the cat on his shoulders, which immediately attracts the attention of others. People start to greet him and ask to be photographed together, which is very handy. When James speaks, he collects a lot more money than usual. The next day, James is approached by his old friend Baz. He asks James for money, and he gives it to him, but on condition that he spends it on food, not drugs. Then James again goes to perform in the city, where he again attracts the attention of the crowd, and one old woman even gives Bob a scarf.

In the evening he meets Betty at the house, and they decide to have dinner together. And once again, James even decides to buy her flowers. However, returning home that day, he notices Baz's body, and a syringe lying nearby. He rushes to help a friend and calls an ambulance. Betty also comes to the rescue. The doctors take Baz away, and James and Betty decide to talk about this topic. It turns out that her brother was a drug addict and died of an overdose in the bathtub, in this very apartment. Therefore, she moved here to be closer to him, as she loved him very much. For Betty's sake, James decides to also quit with drugs, since her brother could not. He communicates with Val, saying that he wanted to stop using methadone, but she believes that the time has not yet come, and postpones this stage until after the holiday period. As long as James and Betty continue to communicate and their relationship grows stronger. Because of this, James decides to improve relations with his father, so he decides to unexpectedly visit his family on Christmas. However, his visit only becomes the cause of a scandal, and he is forced to leave.

During the next performance on the square, a fight breaks out because of one impudent passer-by. This incident is caught on video, which is why Jame is banned from performing for six months. Frustrated, he goes to the pharmacy to take methadone, but Betty becomes a witness. She realizes that James has been lying to her all this time, so she tries to leave. The hero stops her and tries to explain everything to her, but she is still very upset. To make money, James takes a job as a street magazine vendor. Thanks to Bob, he attracts attention and sells much more successfully than other salespeople, so that his business is getting better. However, other salespeople are jealous of its success. When one day James goes to his point of sale, a woman stops him on the way and buys a magazine from him. The hero tries to explain to her that this is not his territory, and she has to buy the magazine from another seller, but she refuses to listen. After this incident, James is suspended from work for a month.

Betty continues to communicate with James, but is still upset about his condition and lies. Soon the hero runs out of money, now he and Bob are starving. To earn at least something, he starts performing again, despite the ban, which could lead him to jail if the authorities become aware of it. Time passes, and James returns to work as a magazine salesman. Bob continues to attract attention, and one woman even offers to buy it for her son, however James refuses to sell it. When a commotion starts around, Bob runs away. James runs after his friend, but cannot find him. Two days later, Bob never returned.

At this time, the popularity of James and his cat began to pay attention to the publishing house. They want to invite James to write a book. Just at this time, Bob returns to James's apartment, which he turns out to be incredibly happy about. Immediately after that, he communicates with Val, saying that he is ready to give up methadone, and she agrees that the time has come. Upon learning of this, Betty says that she will help him. James begins to experience severe withdrawal symptoms, but the next day he wakes up healthy and happy. He goes to Val and informs her of his success, which makes her very happy. However, when James returns home, he sees that Betty is moving. She says that it is time for her to leave the past behind, but she wants to continue to communicate with him. James also learns that her name is actually Elizabeth.

Then James goes to a meeting with a literary agent at a publishing house, where he is offered to write a book, or even a series of books about him with Bob. After that, James goes to meet his father. She informs him that for the first time in many years she is clean and not addicted to drugs. The father turns out to be glad of this, and they reconcile. After that, James takes up the book. It turns out to be a bestseller, and the hero's life is getting better.

I love going to bookstores, looking at what new products and bestsellers they have on offer, reading descriptions, photographing covers. Then I wait a year or two until these books appear in electronic form, download and read. The same story happened with James Bowen's book "Bob the Street Cat". At that time, a cat lived with me and myself, so I reacted to the publication with curiosity.

The book is very easy to read and understand. The plot is based on real events. The young musician has been on drugs for half his life and is forced to earn money by begging to the accompaniment of his songs. When he decided to quit again, he met a fat red and completely charming cat who just came and just stayed on his own. It was thanks to the cat that Bob James managed not to break down, survive the rejection of methadone (substitution therapy for drug addicts) and subsequent withdrawal, start a new life and become a normal person. Thanks to the cat, they first wrote about him in a popular newspaper, and then the publishing house offered to write a book.

I read the book as usual - voraciously. If I open a novel, then I either read it immediately, almost without interruption, or abandon it. This time was the first option. It happened about six months ago. Oh yes, I forgot to say. There are actually two books: "A street cat named Bob" and "The world through the eyes of a cat Bob. New adventures of a man and his red-haired friend."

Throughout the book, the main character was not at all sorry. Drugs are his choice, albeit provoked by childhood trauma (parental divorce). The fact that he repeatedly tried to tie up and broke down speaks not so much of a weakness of character as of a lack of motivation. When I was reading a book, the last thing I wanted to think about is the psychological and physiological prerequisites of drug addiction, its consequences, etc. I wanted to know more quickly: where is the cat? what about the cat? and what will happen to the cat next? I was worried when Bob was bad, I was happy when life returned to normal. The owner remained secondary. Probably, it was conceived, at least in the second book.

It is captivating that the story is biographical, very sincere and incredibly touching. And even if the author is a non-professional writer, I do not want (for once) to find fault with the language of the work, laugh at inappropriate speech constructions and criticize translators. Reading in places is boring. Description of everyday life and nothing else. We got up, worked, returned, ate, slept. A couple of times the cat got into the veterinary clinic, a couple of times it got lost ... Funny or sad stories, bright moments, which usually abound in books about animals, are definitely not to be found here.

So, in my personal rating, "Bob the Street Cat" gets 2 points for the mercy of a cat (everyone loves cats), 1 point for the author's frankness. That, in general, is all. Well, I'll add another half point for having a great time reading about the life of a former drug addict and his personal red-haired mustachioed therapist Bob. There is nothing more to add and there is nothing.

And by tradition, a few quotes I liked:

Every day of our life gives us a second chance, we just have to lend a hand, but the problem is that we do not use it.

I don’t know why people listen with admiration to stories of other people sinking to the bottom. I think part of it is something like: "Thank God this did not happen to me," and the realization that this can happen to anyone. I think it makes people appreciate what they have. Makes them think: "I may not live very well, but it could be worse"

A new goal has appeared in my life - to do something good not only for myself, but also for someone else.

Everyone needs a break, everyone deserves a second chance.

It turns out that there is also a third book - "A Gift from Bob the Cat". It describes how James and Bob celebrated Christmas, as well as James's attitude towards Christmas before Bob's arrival and after the red face moved in with the author. And there are also a bunch of all sorts of options for the type of adaptation for children. A total of 14 books, each of which retells the same story. Learn, kids, how to cut the loot

Now a few words about the film. The actor playing the main character does not personally cause me to dislike purely outwardly, which cannot be said about the real James Bowen.
I was quite surprised by the fact that the role of the cat Bob in the film was the cat Bob himself. This is a truly amazing cat, I tell you!
That's all the praises for the film. It was interesting to watch, but not interesting. Already after the very first minutes it became clear: I will watch the tape to the end to find out how close it was to the original source, and not at all because of the plot or the effective visualization of the book image.
In my opinion, the film is a collection of scenes torn from the book. Everything seems to be logical, especially for those who have not read the book, but I still have a sediment. In addition, the film is devoid of the main thing - touching and sincerity. I did not see on the screen a homeless cat, battered by fate, a homeless musician-addict, also battered by fate. I saw a weak-minded bum and his pet. In the film, there is absolutely no idea of ​​"Two against the whole world", which is in the book. There is no realization of the main message of the book in it. The image of Bob has not been revealed - and this is a shame, because he is the same main character as James. And even more important, because both the book and the film are named after the cat.

Bob the cat is shikaaaaren !!!

The book, which tells the story of London street musician James Bowen and a stray cat named Bob, who became inseparable friends and partners, won the hearts of many. Titled "A street cat named Bob", the book was in the top 10 bestsellers for six months.

James Bowen, dying of drugs, was kicked out of the house by his sister and her husband. For three years, a street musician, desperate from the loneliness and meaninglessness of his existence, lived on the street until he received a tiny apartment in north London from the local authorities.


Five years ago, James's life changed radically when, in his entrance, one day he saw a wounded and bleeding ginger cat, which turned out to be homeless. The young man took him to his home, cured him and went out, spending all the money available.


An attempt to release the animal into the wild did not bring results: the cat was not going to leave its, perhaps, the first owner in its life. He even began to "go to work" with him. While James sang, entertaining passersby in Covent Garden, the cat sat next to him. Over time, when the cat learned a couple of three tricks, the street musician's fees began to increase.


Refusing to consider himself the master of the ginger street entertainer, James calls the cat a genius and his partner. Drugs have long ceased to exist in the life of a young man.

This amazing couple once caught the eye of the literary agent Maria Panchos, who invited the street artist to write a book. After six months of writing, good luck was in search of James: his book, which became a bestseller, translated into 18 languages, brought the young man good money. Negotiations are currently underway to shoot a movie based on the book "Street Cat Called Bob" in Hollywood.


Lost in his cat, James barely survived two incidents when he ran away right during a street performance. In the first case, Bob was frightened by the sight of a man dressed in a fancy dress, and in the second case, a mastiff dog ran into the cat. To the joy of the owner, a few hours later the cat returned.


James owes everything he has to his cat. Now the young man has money with which he can go to his mother in Australia, as well as pay off all his debts. And most importantly, according to James Bowen, he now has a family.

Review of the book "Bob the Street Cat" by James Bowen, written as part of the "My Favorite Book" competition. Reviewed by Elvina Bashirova. Elvina's other work:.

I like to spend time reading an interesting book: to hide from people and vanity. My grandparents' house in the village became a favorite place. All the books I've read here have fascinated me. But "Bob the Street Cat" struck me the most! This is the same book that is easy to read overnight! Maybe it's the plot (although there are no intrigues, murders and investigations, and there is no love triangle), but the fact that the book was written by an ordinary person, not the name of experience in writing, played a role for me. James Bowen described everything in a simple, but at the same time, captivating text that I didn’t have time to blink an eye when the book ended. Well, I'll go directly to the content: "Every day of our life gives us a second chance, we just have to lend a hand, but the problem is that we do not use it." With such a motivating quote begins, now, my favorite book!

James is a drug addict in rehab. He left home for London for a short time, but it so happened that he lost his passport and could not restore it. Therefore, he had to somehow survive on the streets of this big city. Because of drugs, he sank to the very bottom of life (as he himself wrote). Fortunately, he was soon given municipal housing, and he somehow began to come to his senses. Relatives were looking for him, of course, but it never occurred to James that someone was worried about him, he was only thinking about how to survive in London. And so, in the early spring of 2007, at the entrance of his house, he met a thin, wounded ginger cat. At first Bowen thought: I can't take care of myself, and then there's the cat. In the hope, James thought that the cat was domestic and that the owners would soon find him. But enough time had passed, and the redhead still did not leave the entrance. And then the main character decided that he would take the cat to him, at least for a while, in order to heal and feed him. (I forgot to mention that James began to make a living by playing the guitar on the street, few people appreciated this art, but enough for a living).

Since Bowen took the cat home, the redhead has changed a lot: he has recovered, the bald spots in the fur are overgrown. By that time, James had already come up with a name for the cat - Bob. And he named him that because the cat reminded him of the hero from the TV series "Twin Peaks". This character, Killer Bob, was a schizophrenic with a split personality. Most of the time, he behaved normally, but suddenly he could lose control of himself and begin to create madness. The redhead somehow reminded the author of this hero. There was no doubt that Bob was on the street. The cat did not recognize the litter box and ran into the bushes every morning. Once James decided that someday the cat would run away and decided not to pull and let Bob free. But the redhead followed his master to work. Arriving at the place, James, as always, took out the guitars from under the case and began to tune it. Passers-by began to approach and throw money, Bowen was perplexed: after all, he had not even started playing yet. It turns out Bob climbed into the case. By the end of the day, James and Bob had made 3x what the author usually earned alone. Since then, Bob has always gone to work with James. The cat sat on the shoulder of the owner, apparently there he felt more protected and more comfortable. This, of course, is not the whole story, but only the beginning, but I think everyone is better off reading this wonderful book himself. Now I have a different attitude towards those who are forced to survive on the street. Yes, they do not have a rich wallet, gold and expensive clothes. But maybe they just have the kindest soul? James Bowen and Bob got a second chance in their lives and found each other, after which the life of each of them changed for the better. I'm not saying that the cat took and turned life back. It's just, I think, before Bob, James had no one to take care of, and now he was responsible for a little red-haired lump that helped him to stop drugs and start life from scratch.

“Everyone needs a break, everyone deserves a second chance. And Bob and I got it ... ". This beautiful book won my heart, and I intend to read two more parts of it 🙂

James Bowen

Street cat named Bob

How a man and a cat found hope on the streets of London

Bryn Fox ... and to everyone who has lost friends

Soul mate

I read somewhere a well-known quote that every day of our life gives us a second chance, we only have to stretch our hand, but the problem is that we do not use it.

For most of my life, I have proven the truth of these words. I got a lot of opportunities, sometimes several times a day. For a long time I did not pay attention to them, but everything changed in the early spring of 2007. Then I became friends with Bob. When I think back to that day, it seems to me that maybe he also got a second chance.

We met for the first time on a cloudy March evening. London had not yet completely shaken off the winter, so the streets were chilly, especially when the wind was blowing from the Thames. Since it was noticeably freezing by nightfall, I returned to Tottenham a little earlier than usual after speaking to passers-by all day in Covent Garden.

A backpack and a black guitar case dangled behind me, and my close friend Belle walked next to me. We met many years ago, and now we were just friends. That evening, we planned to buy a cheap takeaway curry and watch a movie on a small black-and-white TV that I managed to get from a thrift store around the corner.

The elevator did not work as usual; we prepared for the long journey to the sixth floor and began to conquer the first flight of stairs. Someone had broken the light on the landing, so the first floor was plunged into darkness; nevertheless I noticed a pair of glittering eyes in the twilight. And when I heard a quiet plaintive meow, I realized who they belonged to.

Leaning over, I saw a ginger cat curled up in a ball on a rug near one of the doors. As a child, cats constantly lived in our house, and I have always had warm feelings for these animals. Taking a closer look at the meowing stranger, I realized that there was a male in front of me. Although I had not seen him in our house before, even then, in the twilight, I could say that this cat has character. He was not at all nervous, rather, on the contrary, he smelled of restrained calmness and imperturbable confidence. The cat clearly felt at home on the landing; judging by the intent, slightly curious gaze of his clever eyes, he perceived me as an unwelcome guest on his territory. And as if asking: "Who are you and what brought you here?"

I could not resist, sat down next to the cat and introduced myself.

Hi guy. Haven't seen you here before. Do you live here? I asked.

The cat looked at me with feigned indifference, as if wondering if I should answer. I decided to scratch behind his ear: firstly, to make friends, and secondly, to check if he was wearing a collar or other signs that there was a house cat in front of me - it was not possible to make out in the dark whether he was well-groomed or not ... My new acquaintance turned out to be a tramp; well London boasts a large number of stray cats.

The redhead liked the scratching behind his ear: he began to rub against my hand. Having stroked his back, I felt here and there a few bald spots. Yes, this cat would definitely benefit from good food. And judging by the way he turned to me with one side or the other, a portion of care and affection would also be useful.

Poor cat ... I think he's homeless. He has no collar, and look how thin he is, ”I said, looking back at Belle, who was patiently waiting on the stairs. She knew I had a weakness for cats.

No, James, you can't take it for yourself, ”she said, nodding at the door of the apartment where the cat was sitting. - He came here for a reason - most likely, the owners live here somewhere. Maybe he's waiting for them to get home and let him in.

I reluctantly agreed with my girlfriend. In the end, I could not just take the cat to me, even if everything indicated that he had nowhere to go. I myself just moved in here and still tried to put things in order in the apartment. What if its owners really live in this house? They are unlikely to be happy to know that someone has appropriated their cat.

Moreover, I just lacked extra responsibility now. A loser musician trying to get rid of drug addiction, barely able to earn money for a simple meal and living in a municipal apartment ... and I really couldn't take care of myself.

Leaving the house the next morning, I met a ginger cat at the same place. Obviously, he had been on the rug for the last twelve hours - and had no intention of leaving it. Down on one knee, I stroked the cat, and he again responded with gratitude to the unexpected caress. He purred, enjoying the attention; although he was somewhat wary, I felt that he was gradually beginning to trust me.

In the light of day it became clear that a luxurious animal had wandered into our house. The cat had an expressive muzzle and piercing green eyes; Looking closely, I noticed several scratches on the paws and on the head. Apparently, he recently had a fight. And the day before, I correctly assessed his condition - the cat was very thin, bald spots glittered here and there. I was worried about the handsome red-haired man, but I had to remind myself that I have much more important reasons and concerns. Reluctantly getting up from my knees, I left the house and took the bus to central London - I was on my way to Covent Garden again to play guitar in front of passers-by, hoping to make some money.

Returning home at almost ten in the evening, the first thing I did was look around in search of a cat, but he was nowhere to be found. I confess that I was a little upset because I managed to become attached to the redhead. And yet he sighed with relief: perhaps the owners finally came home and let him in.

When the next day I went down to the first floor, my heart skipped a beat: the cat was sitting in the same place in front of the door. He just seemed even more miserable and shabby than before. He was clearly cold, hungry, and trembling slightly.

So you’re all sitting here, ”I said, stroking the redhead. - You don't look good today.

At that moment I decided that it had gone too far. And he knocked on the door of the apartment, chosen by the cat. I had to say something to its inhabitants. If it's their pet, you can't treat it like that. He needs to be fed and shown to the doctor.

The door was opened by an unshaven guy in a T-shirt and sweatpants. From his sleepy face, I yanked him out of bed, even though the time was approaching noon.

Sorry to bother you, friend. Is this your cat? I asked.

For several seconds he looked at me as if I had started.

What cat? - he asked at last, then lowered his eyes and saw a redhead curled up on the rug.

A. No, - he said with an indifferent shrug. - This is the first time I see him.

He has been sitting here for several days, - I insisted, but received only a blank look in return.

Yes? I must have smelled the food or something. But this is the first time I see him.

And the guy slammed the door.

And I already knew what to do.

So, friend, you come with me, - I said, climbing into my backpack in search of a box of crackers - I deliberately carried it with me to treat the cats and dogs that came up to me when I played the guitar.

As soon as I shook the box, the cat jumped up, with all its appearance expressing its readiness to follow me. I noticed that he was not very well on his feet and was dragging his hind leg, so it took us a while to climb five flights of stairs. But after a few minutes the cat and I entered the apartment.

My dwelling, frankly, was not rich in furnishings. Of the furniture, besides the TV, there was only a second-hand convertible sofa and a mattress in the corner of the small bedroom; in the kitchen area there was a toaster, a microwave, and a refrigerator that was about to pass its ghost. No stove. In addition to the above, the apartment was filled with books, videotapes and tons of knickknacks.

I confess that I am forty by nature: I constantly drag all sorts of things from the street into the house. At that time, I could boast of a broken-down parking machine standing in the corner and a broken mannequin in a cowboy hat. One friend once called my house "a shop of antiquities", but the cat did not deserve these "treasures", immediately rushing to the kitchen.

After I got a bag of milk in the refrigerator, I poured it into a bowl and added a little water. I knew that - contrary to popular belief - milk could be harmful to cats because they are actually lactose intolerant. The cat ate the treat in a matter of seconds.

As a second course, I offered the guest canned tuna mixed with crackers. And again the cat swallowed the food in the blink of an eye. Poor fellow, I thought. "Probably completely starving."