Inspired: Tom and Jerry have a complicated and complex relationship that cannot be forced into restrictive parameters such as "friendship" and "rivalry". The term that best defines their relationship is "frenemy", but even that word simplifies their dynamic considerably. To say that Tom and Jerry are best friends, but act hostile towards each other simply to keep a façade for Tom's owners would be grossly inaccurate. There are many cartoons where Tom is mean, sometimes even cruel, to Jerry simply because he can (without his owners telling him to) or when Jerry annoys and/or tries to get Tom kicked out of the house just for fun. At the same time, stating that their relationship is based solely on hate is incorrect as well. Every single time when they finally managed to get rid of each other, Tom and Jerry have found themselves bored out of their minds and unable to operate properly. They need their chases, their dynamic, their typical formula (aka each other) in order to normaly function. For them, their relationship is both a source of familiarity (which they find comforting) and a source of unpredictability (which manages to keep things interesting). That familiarity and that unpredictability is what keeps them going and what keeps them coming back to each other everytime. To summarize, Tom and Jerry aren't your typical friends or your typical enemies. They don't trust, don't really like and don't really get along with each other (save for a few occasions). But, at the same time, neither of them would be able to live without the other, they wouldn't be Tom & Jerry then, and the thought of losing one another is equally terrifying and equally unbearable for both of them.