He is also interested in a cat called Toots in The Zoot Cat although she has a different appearance to the original Toots. The first love interest is Toots who appears inPuss n' Toots, and calls him 'Tommy' in The Mouse Comes to Dinner. Tom changes his love interest many times. Multiple shorts show the two getting along with minimal difficulty, and they are more than capable of working together when the situation calls for it, usually against a third party who manages to torture and humiliate them both. Sometimes, they bond over a mutual sentiment towards an unpleasant experience and their attacking each other is more play than serious attacks. However, depending on the cartoon, whenever one character appears to be in mortal danger (in a dangerous situation or by a third party), the other will develop a conscience and save him. Both characters display sadistic tendencies, in that they are equally likely to take pleasure in tormenting each other. Sometimes, they both end up being friends (only for something to happen so that Tom will chase Jerry again). Afterwards, the shark scares Jerry away as well) or when Jerry overlooks something at the end of the course. Sometimes, usually ironically, they both lose, usually when Jerry's last trap potentially backfires on him after it affects Tom (An example is in Chuck Jones' Filet Meow short where Jerry orders a shark to scare Tom away from eating a goldfish.

However, other results may be reached on rare occasions, Tom triumphs, usually when Jerry becomes the aggressor or when he crosses some sort of line (the best example of which occurs in The Million Dollar Cat where, after finding out that Tom's newly acquired wealth will be taken away if he harms any animal, including a mouse, he torments Tom until Tom finally loses his temper and attacks him). By the final 'iris-out' or 'fade-out' of each cartoon, Jerry usually emerges triumphant, while Tom is shown as the loser. Despite being very energetic and determined, Tom is no match for Jerry's brains and wits. Despite the typical cat eats mouse, it is actually quite rare for Tom to actually try and consume Jerry. Jerry also possesses surprising strength for his size, lifting items such as anvils with relative ease and withstanding considerable impacts with them. Tom is very quick-tempered and thin-skinned, while adorable mouse Jerry is independent and opportunistic. Tom was originally called 'Jasper' in the very first short, Puss Gets the Boot, while Jerry was named 'Jinx'. cartoon character Sylvester was originally called 'Thomas'.

'Tom' is a generic name for a male cat or Warner Bros. He is the main protagonist and also the main antagonist of the story, who lives a pampered life, while Jerry is a small brown house mouse who always lives in close proximity to him and he is the second protagonist of the story.

Tom and jerry episodes when spoke