Ñirka, a young tortoiseshell cat, was spotted in the garden twice while owner Ramon Correa was on holiday.

On his return to his home in Victoria, Canada, he was slapped with a $150 CAD fine (around £100) for his cat’s trespassing, Capital Daily reports.

City officials said they issue up to around 10 fines every year under animal control by-laws covering any animal on private lands without consent of the person living there.

Mr Correa rejected suggestions that he should confine the cat permanently to his home. “I got that cat out of a barn, I’m not going to do that to the cat,” he said.