The world as it was before I met Bob seemed a harsh, heartless and, yes, a hopeless place. The world I have grown to see through his eyes is a very different one. There was a time when I couldn’t distinguish one day from the next. Now I cherish each one. I am happier, healthier and more fulfilled than I have ever been. For now, at least, I have escaped from life on the streets. I can see a clear path ahead of me.
I have no idea where our adventure will lead us next. But I know that, for as long as he is around, Bob will be at the heart of all the good things that come to pass. He is my companion, my best friend, my teacher and my soul mate. And he will remain all of those things. Always.
Acknowledgements
Writing this book has been a collaborative process and I need to thank the team of incredibly talented and supportive people who helped me cross the finishing line. Garry Jenkins was my principle guiding hand, skilfully extracting the stories then shaping the manuscript. At Hodder, I have to thank Rowena Webb and Maddy Price along with Ciara Foley, who edited the script. I would also like to single out the brilliant publicists Emma Knight, Kerry Hood and Emilie Ferguson. A big thanks also to Dan Williams for his superb line drawings. At Aitken Alexander I’m totally indebted to my fantastic agent Mary Pachnos as well as the team of Sally Riley, Nishta Hurry, Liv Stones and Matilda Forbes-Watson. Thanks also to Joaquim Fernandes at Aitken Alexander and Raymond Walters at R Walters & Co for their invaluable guidance and help. Closer to home I’d like to thank my best friends Kitty and Ron, for being at my side through what has been a pretty crazy year or so. It hasn’t been easy at times, but they’ve remained steadfast and loyal and I owe them more than I can say. I’d also like to thank my mother and father for their love and support, not just in the past year but throughout the darker and more difficult earlier years when I was, I know, far from the easiest of sons. I can’t let this opportunity pass without thanking the legions of people who have written to me either directly or through social media, passing on their good wishes and sharing their experiences. I’ve done my best to reply to as many as possible but hope that I can be forgiven for not getting back to each and every one of you. The response has been, at times, overwhelming. Most of all, of course, I’d like to thank the little guy who remains my constant companion. I still don’t know whether I found Bob or he found me. What I do know, however, is that without him I’d be utterly lost.
About the Author
James Bowen is the author of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob. He found Bob the cat in 2007 and the pair have been inseparable ever since. They both live in north London.
For the latest news, stories and pictures from James and Bob, follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/streetcatbob, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/streetcatbob.
Copyright
First published in Great Britain in 2013 by Hodder & Stoughton An Hachette UK company
Copyright © James & Bob Limited and Connected Content Limited
Illustrations © Dan Williams
The right of James Bowen and Garry Jenkins to be identified as the Authors of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
Extract from All My Patients are Under the Bed: Memoirs of a Cat Doctor
by Louis J. Caruiti. Published by Fireside, 1985
Hardback ISBN 978 1 444 77755 0
Trade paperback ISBN 978 1 444 77756 7
Ebook ISBN 978 1 444 77759 8
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