Who's afraid of Tom, the tabby cat? Well, certainly not his traditional nemesis, ‘Jerry’ the mouse.

In a real-life echo of the cartoons, the 18-month-old cat was left miffed after the wood mouse more than stood his ground during their battle of the species.

Tom had sauntered into the garden with the rodent clamped in his mouth to indulge in the feline pastime of casual cruelty followed by a tasty snack.

But Jerry refused to play the victim and during a ten-minute face-off, even managed to scratch Tom on the nose.

Owner Stephanie Evans, 41, looked out of her window shocked to see the  mismatched pair seemingly playfighting.

‘He put the mouse down and instead of running away the mouse just confronted him. Tom was so shocked he just stood there,’ she said.

'In the end they ended up playing in the garden together for ages,' Stephanie told Surrey Today. 'That's why I was able to get such a good shot.

'I honestly have never seen anything like it. It was very comical but definitely not normal.'

Stephanie described her pet as, 'incredibly submissive and gentle and eventually the little mouse just went under the shed.'

Jerry eventually scurried under a fence but was found in a neighbouring greenhouse in Reigate, Surrey. Perhaps in wait to smash a flower pot over Tom’s head?