James Bowen, the author of the best-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob, says he is on the verge of being turfed out of his £500,000 house because he can’t keep up the rocketing mortgage payments.
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The former busker became famous due to the stray cat he looked after and called Bob while he was living on the streets – which was eventually turned into a much-loved book.
His fame even saw him meet the Princess of Wales.
Bowen told the Daily Mail: “I have had to sell my house, as the mortgage rates shot through the roof and I can’t afford to own this home any more.”
He revealed that he could once again be homeless as early as August 9.
Bowen said: “Problem is, I won’t get paid till after I have left the house empty and cleared.
“I don’t even have the money for rent for a temporary place till I can find a new home, which means that myself, my four cats and Chewbie [his shih tzu dog] will be homeless on the 9th as we wait for some money, after paying off the mortgage, to become available to us.”
The 44-year-old former heroin addict has appealed online for urgent financial help, adding that anyone who helped would have their money returned on completion of the sale of the house.
He said: “I swear on Bob’s immortal soul, your good deed will be rewarded and repaid as soon as I am able to do so.”
Bowen added that because he had no money he couldn’t afford to pay a removal company to clear his home and then pay for temporary storage.
He befriended the ginger cat who he called Bob while busking with his guitar in London’s Covent Garden.
The cute cat quickly became an attraction both with tourists and passers-by who would upload videos of the pair to YouTube and they became a huge online hit.
His bond with Bob helped Bowen slowly withdraw from methadone and beat his drug problem.
He has previously credited Bob with helping him overcome his dependency, saying: “Using drugs is a selfish thing, Bob gave me something else to focus on.”
Tragedy struck though in June 2020 when Bob, aged 14, was fatally run over with Bowen later admitting he had returned to drugs.
He told The Sun in February this year: “When Bob passed away, he was the love of my life.
“He was my best friend and I was wailing in pain and sorrow for months on end.
“I remember feeling suicidal. I felt I wanted it to end. I started looking for an escape again and I started using heroin once more.”
It cost him his planned marriage to fiancée Monika Hertes and almost his “sanity”.
By last summer he was taking heroin every day and was back to the state he was in before he met Bob.
However, he says he has been clean since the New Year.
The story of his beloved cat was turned into the best-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob in 2010, which sold more than a million copies in Britain and reached global best-seller lists.
It was later turned into a hit movie which premiered in 2016 attended by Kate, now Princess of Wales.
Bowen said: “She gave Bob a scratch by the ears. He knew he was in the presence of important people. We had a little chat. She does incredible work.”
Since 2012, he has published six best-selling books about his life and adventures with Bob.
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