A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life
James Bowen
2013, 279 pages
Nonfiction
James Bowen was barely making ends meet as a busker in Covent Garden, recovering from years of homelessness and drug addiction, when he came home one evening to find a ginger tom cat in his apartment building in north London.
Bowen nursed the injured cat back to health, dubbed him Bob and delighted in their new friendship. One day Bob followed him onto the bus, settling into his guitar case when Bowen set up to perform. He quickly realized Bob was a draw.
People also treated Bowen better when Bob joined him. People who’d ignored or judged him before looked at him differently: “Seeing me with my cat softened me in their eyes. It humanised me . . . I had been a non-person; I was becoming a person again.”
Bob’s antics – he watches TV, rides on Bowen’s shoulders, and teaches himself to use the toilet – are quite entertaining. And the way that caring for Bob brought.
Bowen new purpose, structure, and love as he put his life back together make this a heart-warming read. Bowen’s compelling personal story reminds readers of the discrimination and danger street musicians and vendors face daily, the challenges that remain even after a homeless person finds a home, and the difference small acts of kindness and community resources (like libraries, where Bowen often used the computers) can make for someone putting his life back together.
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