Wookie the cat presumably still missing?

Been trying to trace down whether Wookie the cat has been sighted or perhaps, but most likely not, found since he was reported missing in November of last year. People reading this might recall the story of Wookie and his desperate owner, one Mike Harding, who was fined for putting up posters in the hope that somebody would see his kitty and there would be a happy Christmas reunion. Alas, instead, Mike was threatened with a fine instead by the local council, which was eventually dropped most likely due to public outcry and adverse publicity.

Since sharing the story, I'm surprised that people still drop by this blog to read the saga and that the story still has legs. Most likely it has sustained an interest due to an ordinary citizen and obvious cat lover who was attempting to find his beloved cat but instead encountered local politics. People tend to take sides in situations where they feel a person has been unfairly wronged.

Given that there is still interest, I've been attempting to trace down any type of follow-up as to whether Wookie was found. So far, there is no information available from any news source. Anyone knowing Mike or living in the Bedford, |England, area, perhaps could provide some type of finality to the story or even Mike's e-mail address as a follow up to the story and an ending.

Anybody? BTW - Wookie if you're reading this - enquiring minds want and need to know!

Posting missing cat notice a no-no in Bedford

Cat owners living in Bedford, England, better watch out where they post their "lost cat" notices if their kitty goes missing. Unfortunately, Mike Harding, owner of 7 year old Wookie, who has been missing for 6 weeks, found out the hard way having been threatened with a fine of £1,000 ($1,559 U.S. dollars) for putting up lost posters of his beloved feline on trees and street lampposts. Wookie - love that name - went missing since late November and in an attempt and hope that someone has spotted the cat, Harding posted A4-sizes posters. Upon spotting the posters, the local borough council told Harding that he was committing the dastardly offence of flyposting (this does not mean posting house flies everywhere - Wikipedia defines it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyposting) and to remove the posters in 48 hours or face a fine.

Oh the abomination of posting a missing cat poster!

The issue in as far as the council see it, is that the posters were nailed to trees, causing them harm. Why - did the trees complain? Furthermore, (the council) environmental team spotted more than twenty of Harding's lost cat posters, some of which were nailed to eight trees.

Ohmygawd - eight whole trees!

Understandably, an alternative to attaching posters to trees is desirable but perhaps he should be forgiven since he is obviously missing Wookie in a big way. According to a borough council member, nailing a tree pierces the bark, which in turn could allow fungal spores to break down the trees defences, leading to secondary infections. Thing is - this is a cat lover who is desperate to find his cat!

The council communicated in writing to Harding on December 22, warning him to remove said posters by 0900 on December 24. Talk about not having Christmas spirit! The desperate cat owner took them down but it was when he nailed some on telegraph poles and a couple of trees that he received a written warning. In response, Harding ran around on Christmas eve removing posters, finishing the job at 3 a.m.

"I received a call from Bedford Borough Council, which initially I thought was a prank call, asking for my address because they wanted to send me some information. I was expecting information leaflets, but instead they sent a letter warning me that I would be prosecuted if the posters weren't removed."

The council said flyposting was illegal and added it was satisfied the matter had been resolved. Maybe for the council but not for Harding, who still hasn't seen a whisker of Wookie.

Click on this link to see a photo of Wookie in case anyone sees him and his sad owner:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343679/Pet-owner-blasts-council-lack-compassion-threatens-1-000-fine-lost-cat-poster.html