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"Because he jointly owns the moggy with his girlfriend, this was accepted by a tribunal as sufficient evidence that he is in a stable relationship and fully settled in this country.

Therefore sending him home would breach his right to a 'private and family life'. Granting him indefinite leave to remain, Judge Judith Gleeson even joked that the cat 'need no longer fear having to adapt to Bolivian mice'."

An immigrant facing deportation from Britain cited ownership of a pet cat with his girlfriend as part of his legal battle to stay in the country, it was revealed today.

The man, a Bolivian who came to the UK as a student, gave cat ownership as one of "many details" to prove the long-term nature of his relationship, his solicitor Barry O'Leary said.

But the solicitor insisted that his client had "never" argued that he should be allowed to stay on the grounds of the cat. Nor had he been allowed to stay because of this, he said.

The Home Office had appealed to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal against a judgment allowing the man to stay in the country.

Mr O'Leary said: "We were never arguing on the basis that the cat was material. We argued that there is a Home Office policy they should have applied in this case because of the long term nature of the couple's relationship.

"The immigration judge found that was the reason the appeal should be allowed."

Giving her judgment against the Home Office appeal, senior immigration judge Judith Gleeson joked that the cat "need no longer fear having to adapt to Bolivian mice".