Bob, the cat who served as the inspiration for the book series and film, “A Street Cat Named Bob”, has died peacefully at the age of 14.

His friendship with musician James Bowen, then a recovering drug addict, began in 2007 when the latter found the cat injured and took him in.

Soon, the two were inseparable even as Bowen went to busk and sell magazines on the streets of London, with Bob often seen donning a warm scarf around his furry neck.

The two caught local attention and a local newspaper would publish a story on them.

Bowen would afterwards write about his experiences, which resulted in a bestseller book in 2012.

The book, “A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life”, would be the first instalment of a series printed in more than 40 languages.

This unexpected success would change the lives of both Bowen and Bob, with the London street cat walking the red carpet.

A film based on the book series was released in 2016, which had Bob play himself with six similar-looking co-actors.

In addition, a sequel to the film titled, “A Gift from Bob”, is scheduled for release later this year.

In a statement posted on the official Facebook page of the book series, Bowen said that Bob had saved his life.

“He gave me so much more than companionship. With him at my side, I found a direction and purpose that I’d been missing,” he said.

Calling their shared success “miraculous”, he went on to say that Bob has met and touched the lives of thousands of people.

“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.”