Review: A Street Cat Named Bob.

A Street Cat Named Bob, James Bowen["A Street Cat Named Bob" by James Bowen (published by Hodder & Stoughton 2012) is a memoir, of the inspirational relationship between a struggling drug addicted street performer and a stray tabby cat]

This is an easy book to read, which makes a change. Some books you have to concentrate on, and then think what do I feel, what does the writer want me to feel?? James just writes about himself and his relationship with Bob. We find out that James was a pretty normal sort of teenager, drifting along feeling nothing much, he drifted into a sort of work, doing the only thing he knew, playing a guitar. To get some feeling in his life he drifted into the drug scene. But he was one of those people that drugs get their hooks into, and he was soon an addict. So now the drugs drove him, not he that drove the drugs.

Along comes Bob. A stray cat making his way, on the street and in the bins. He find James. This sounds like he was looking for someone, but was he? Or was it just chance? But something drew them together. Maybe it was the affinity, “I know you. We feel the same mate”.

James says he felt a responsibility for Bob which could only be discharged by returning to (joining) society. He wanted to look after Bob, make him well, keep him happy and content. Bob probably wanted to do the same for James, so they went out and about together.

While we discussed this book, we descended into cat stories! Good fun. But I wonder what a dog lover might make of all this “slop” about how good cats are.

What is it about Dogs and cats (or Cats and dogs)? Do they really understand us or even love us or is it just self-interest? I choose to believe that they actually like us. Well some do, but it is not unconditional. We have an affinity but then we have to work at it, and maybe they will never like us. I remember our Siamese who .........................

Back to James and his issues, and the Big Issue. James becomes a seller of the magazine and we learn how that works, how he has to understand how to handle money, and sales, and find his interrelationship skills, etc. So we see that this is a great project to get people to learn how to live in our society, not a charity, a proper business. Just living on the street does not allow you to drop out of society. There is a hierarchy, dog eat dog (note: not cat eat cat) mentality, in fact, a different society. (And anyway dogs are pack animals and not cannibals, as far as I know)

So both Bob and James become civilised, living in our society, making their way together, supporting, looking out for each other. Sometimes Bob is “freaked out” by something and runs off. I think we can relate to that. James searches for him and in due course Bob is found, because he wants to be found. Not all of us can do that. We do not have enough words in the English language to express this (and many other forms) of love.

Did Bob actually help “out of conscious thought” or “was he just the catalyst” (see what happened there? Catalyst. …. hehe .... blame Norman for that).

What is it about cats and dogs, maybe we can respond to them more easily than people. Why is that? Is it that they are not judgemental? Bob sees James just as he is, and he sees himself.

We know that they do not judge us, we are their friend, but that of course makes us feel responsible and feel guilty if we do not fulfil those responsibilities. But that feeling is in us, not in them. Well actually cats do have ways of making their displeasures felt. I remember our Siamese who ……........... again.

In European and folk-belief of the Medieval and other periods, familiar spirits (sometimes referred to simply as "familiars" or "animal guides") were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and “cunning folk” in their practice of magic. So Bob was... and James was.... ? Nah, but they do seem to have given a lot of enjoyment and encouragement to a lot of people and made a lot of people happy just seeing them, and also given a little insight into the lives of those living at the edge of society. Modern Magic.

Next time you see a Big Issue seller, you might just consider buying one.

Love from