Bob the Cat

Recycle Bookstore | Campbell + San Jose

By Kimberly Maroon

Meeting Bob

At first glance Campbell seems like your regular run-of-the-mill suburb. Strip malls and quiet neighborhoods of two-story homes with backyards. One of my first nights there, I went for a walk downtown looking for dinner and anything to do. Yes! Finally, something that reminded me of my neighborhood back home. Restaurants, bars, and cute shops very similar to Harvard Ave and Coolidge Corner in Allston.

I reached a corner with a massive used bookstore and popped inside to see if they had an inexpensive copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Like most used bookstores, there is no catalog or database of what they have in stock so I wandered around for awhile enjoying the smell of old books and paper. I turned the corner by the windows and spotted a giant orange cat sitting on a bench. He hopped off the bench and walked over to say hello with a little chirp. I sat on the bench and he jumped up wasting no time to make himself comfortable, kneading his claws into my leg, purring away. Ok?

And so this would be where I came almost every night after work—looking at books and hanging out with Bob.

Bob supervising the front counter. Is he judging your book selections?

WHAT IS WITH ALL THESE CATS?

I was told each of the locations of Recycle Bookstore had a cat. So one night, I took a drive to visit the other shop in San Jose on The Alameda. They had a little more than a cat….his name was Ender and he was nearly three times the size of Bob! If I met him in a dark alley, I might have confused him for one of the resident mountain lions. He was nice, not as cool as Bob though. I guess you have to warm up to him to get past his judgemental side. Ender shares the shop with Emma who sadly I did not have the pleasure of meeting. She was hiding.

THE ESSENCE OF BOB

Bob was pretty charming and friendly. With everyone actually. He knew the regulars, the families that shopped after dinner out in Campbell, and even all the kids, no matter how pesky. I watched a little girl, probably no older than 4, walk in, stand in the center of the shop, and call for ‘kitty.’ Seconds later, Bob trotted out from behind the far bookshelf. He was good with the kids man-handling him at the counter or following him around the shop, he never once snapped or swatted at them. Sometimes his face showed it all, I could tell he was tolerating. The best time to visit was near closing time when the crowds would die down a bit and we could just sit in quiet. One night, Bob even fell asleep on my lap. My cat passed away a few years ago and I was glad to spend some time with a new feline friend no matter how temporary. I’ll always wonder if he would remember me if I made it back to Campbell.