Bob The Cat, Inspiration Behind ‘A Cat Named Bob’ Books & Films, Dies

Bob the Cat, whose story about helping save the life of a recovering London drug addict became the basis for several books and two movies, died Monday.

The news was announced by Hodder & Stoughton, the UK publisher behind the 2012 book A Street Cat Named Bob. It told the story of James Bowen, who in 2007 found Bob injured on the streets and took him in. The pair had come to the attention of the local press as they teamed to sell a magazine to raise funds for the homeless.

The book, a bestseller in the UK, spawned three sequels and a feature film, 2016’s A Street Cat Named Bob, that starred Bob himself and Luke Treadaway as Bowen. It was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. A second movie,  A Gift From Bob, starring Treadaway and based on another of the four books, is now in postproduction.

“Bob saved my life. It’s as simple as that,” Bowen said in a statement via Hodder. “He gave me so much more than companionship. With him at my side, I found a direction and purpose that I’d been missing. The success we achieved together through our books and films was miraculous. He’s met thousands of people, touched millions of lives. 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.”