The Register has a hilarious take on the project:

US military attempts to develop “programmable neuromorphic” electronic artificial mouse- and cat-bonce brain podules have now moved into gear, with IBM scooping a $5m contract award.

One need hardly specify that the Pentagon office overseeing the Tom’n’Jerryputer push is DARPA, that reassuring rock of madness in an often tediously mundane techno world. The bonkers bad-boy battle boffins of DARPA eat breakfast every day at the Unfeasible Diner, frequently lunch at the Quite Possibly Unnecessary Hotel, occasionally take their aperitifs at the Unforeseen Consequences Saloon – and now and then get thrown out of the Step Too Far Club late at night.

I think it would be the Tom-puter. No Jerry.

And now for the obligatory icanhascheezburger image, here’s what human engineers might create with their cat-brain project:

more animals