I am a big lover of cats; I have four of my own and affectionately refer to them as my fur-kids. Dude is 9 years old, Geezer is 8 years old, Asbo is 5 years old and the baby Dexter is just over a year old and I wouldn't be without any of them. If I win Euro-millions or even the lottery then my dream would be to open a cattery for unloved and unwanted cats and kittens.

A second passion of mine is reading, a total bookworm and a Kindle convert, though I do still read paper and hard back books and in my local supermarket there is usually a deal on when buying paperback books and this time I found myself purchasing a book called "A Street-cat named Bob" written by James Bowen and I was drawn to it because of the lovely face of Bob who has lovely big green eyes and appears on the front cover wearing a little scarf.

There has been a lot of media hype recently about this book, rumours are that it is to be turned into a film and many have compared it to the story of Marley and Me, if that is the case then I will definitely want to go and see it. But the book is based on a simple story of Man meets cat.

James Bowen is a young man whose life hasn't been easy; he had fallen on hard times. His life had been somewhat chaotic as he moved between families in Britain and Australia. James then ended up on the sleeping rough on the streets of London for two years and sadly hooked on heroin, which he says helped him forget his homelessness. James thankfully ended up being moved into some sheltered accommodation thanks to the kindness of charity and managed to get himself onto a methadone programme to help him beat his addiction and this story is about where and how he met Bob, the street cat in 2007.

Bob is a ginger and white cat who was found hiding under the stairwell in the building in which James lived. Concerned for the well being of the cat whom it was discovered had an injury to his leg; James took Bob to the RSPCA for treatment on his injury and nursed him back to health, Bob wasn't micro-chipped so there was no way to trace his owners if he had any. During this time James had asked around locally to see if the cat belonged to anyone and with no one coming forward, James grew attached to Bob and likewise for Bob with James and pretty soon, despite James trying to release Bob back into the great outdoors in the hope he would be reunited with a family who might be missing him, the two became inseparable.

James was a Busker in Covent Garden which is hugely popular with tourists, if you ever go to Covent Garden you will find an array of street performers and other acts such as magicians and so on to keep you entertained as you make your way through, what is a very crowded shopping area. Bob began to follow James to his Busking spot, getting onto the same bus as James and even sitting next to him on the journey to Covent Garden, worried about Bob becoming injured, James began putting a lead on him, so he could keep an eye on him. Once in Covent Garden Bob would sit on James' shoulder, this attracting even more attention of those passing by. James then moved on from Busking to selling 'The Big Issue' and with Bob by his side, life moved pretty quickly with the writing of the book and to it becoming quite a big hit in the top 10 paperback charts.

For me this story isn't about some homeless man who just finds a cat, it has one or two other issues. It's a stark reminder that James lived on the streets of London, sleep rough and you do get a little bit of an insight as to what it was like, although it is a fleeting insight because it doesn't form a big part of the book. For me homelessness is one of those things that I can't quite comprehend in today's society and will quite often buy 'The big issue' and have in the past bought a hot drink and a sandwich for a local homeless guy, who has since moved on. For anyone who has no idea about 'The Big Issue' then go visit their homepage and read all about them it is fascinating. The other thing that this story is about for me is love and companionship. As I said, I have got 4 cats and I cannot imagine them being in this world with no one to look after and care for them, I would go hungry to ensure that they are fed first and cats are one of those animals who give a lot of love, they help you de-stress and whilst mine all have their own personalities they are loyal creatures who want to be loved and give love.

I really liked the writing style of this book because it is full of love and James somehow manages to make Bob sound like a human being with the way he describes their life together. Finding Bob and becoming part of each others lives is fate I feel, without one another I cant imagine where James would be now, possibly still struggling with life and for Bob, who knows what might have happened to him given his injuries, I am thankful they found one another.

I really hope there will be a sequel to this book, I would love to know how James managed to get himself and Bob a book deal and I would like to know what happens next and what has been happening for the two of them. I have read and seen quite a lot of interviews that James has done and really liked the fact that he had hopes and dreams for himself and Bob, one of which included taking Bob into some local Old Peoples homes so that they can meet him and feel the joy it is to know Bob in the same way James has been lucky to do so. I also now follow them on Twitter and the next time I am in Covent Garden, I intend to wander around to see if they are still around, though part of me hopes that they no longer have to rely on selling the Big Issue and that they are making enough money to live an easier life. I am glad James has managed to turn his and Bob's life around and I wish them many happy years together and one day I do hope I come across them both, if nothing more than to stroke Bob, who sounds utterly wonderful and brilliant.

Whether or not you are a lover of animals, this book is worthy of a read, it does serve as a stark reminder that there are some people less fortunate than ourselves in the world who are trying to better themselves and it is also a reminder for me that there are abandoned and unloved and wanted animals out there looking for comfort, food and love, I just wish I had a bigger home to take them all in.

This book can be purchased from all known retailers and it ranges in prices from £3.87 right up to £10.99 for a hardback copy and is 288 pages long.