bob & jim

Five years ago Jim Bowen, a streetcorner musician/newspaper vendor in London, found an injured cat in the lobby of his rooming house. Living a hand-to-mouth existence on the streets, Jim thought the last thing he needed was a pet.

But as so often happens, the temporary arrangement became permanent; Jim and Bob were soon inseparable, and last year caught the eye of a literary agent, Mary Pachnos, who had helped bring several animal stories, such as "Marley and Me," to fruition as best sellers.

With the help of Pachnos and, one presumes, a ghost writer, Bowen soon produced "A Street Cat Named Bob," and is now hoping for a movie deal similar to the one that resulted in Marley the dog's current popularity.

I understand why Bowen feels Bob is special, since I have a cat story myself, and someday I plan to write the strange saga of Wild Bill, the killer cat who loved me, now unfortunately deceased.