James Bowen was a homeless heroin addict, busking on the streets of London to earn as much money as he could. Little did he know, after meeting a street cat, his life would never be the same again.

Not just any normal street cat

At his lowest point, James Bowen spent 10 years of his life in the busy city of London as a heroin addict and busker. However, his life completely transformed not long after meeting a sick and injured stray ginger cat.

James took the cat to the RSPCA and spent all the money he had left on the antibiotics. He nursed him back to health and tried to send him on his way, but the stray was having none of it. He started following James more and more each day until he eventually followed him onto the bus. That was when James decided he had to take responsibility for him. The two formed an extremely strong bond. The stray was given the name Bob, and they became the best of friends. James realised that from then on, he would have to change his ways to be able to take care of his new furry feline friend.

A life changed

They became inseparable. While on the streets of London, tourists and anybody would soon notice James busking with Bob, who would either be lying on the top of James’s shoulders, guitar or just sitting alongside him. Full of love for these two best friends, the public would post videos of them online, which started James's and Bob’s newfound fame.

As the two became more known, James eventually wrote a book about his life that he and Bob share together. “A Street Cat Named Bob” was published in 2012. It became an international best seller and has sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, and has since been turned into a film.

James’s life has completely transformed for the better. Now, he is now a spokesman and helps to raise money for different charities, such as “The big issue foundation” and “Blue Cross”. Without his little friend, who knows where he could have been today.

Check out James and Bobs Instagram and Facebook page!

Photo used for illustration purposes only.

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