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LONDON — A British government staffer was physically thrown out of the prime minister's residence by a police officer after sneaking into the building without permission.

This was no ruffled-shirted political aide, however, but a cat.

Palmerston is evicted from No. 10 Downing Street after sneaking in on Tuesday. PoliticalPics Tweeter

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Palmerston — official house cat and "chief mouser" at the U.K.'s Foreign Office — was pictured being evicted from No. 10 Downing Street on Tuesday.

No. 10, the home of British Prime Minister Theresa May, is just across the street from the Foreign Office, where New York-born former London Mayor Boris Johnson has just been put in charge.

May's residence has its own house cat, Larry, who has been involved in scuffles in the street with Palmerston in recent weeks. One of these fights is thought to have resulted in Larry getting an injured paw, which required veterinary treatment.

Fair to say that @DiploMog has been put back in his place: https://t.co/yhFvbyXVaO — Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 26, 2016

Both cats were rescue animals, and according to The Telegraph, Larry is thought to be suffering extra stress from the departure of his old boss, David Cameron, following the Brexit referendum last month.

The Foreign Office's cat is named after Lord Palmerston, who served as foreign secretary and twice as prime minister in the 1800s.

While Larry doesn't enjoy the prestige of being named after a historical figure, the tradition of Downing Street cats being used to kill rodents dates back almost 200 years, according to the U.K.'s National Archive.

Larry's most recent predecessor, Humphrey, was retired in 1997 — reportedly at the request of Tony Blair's wife, Cherie.