Real Dictionary

cat and mouse
a situation in which a person tries to confuse or deceive another in order to defeat them

cat-and-mouse in British English
of or designating behavior like that of a cat toying with a mouse; specif., of or designating a strategy by which one repeatedly challenges an opponent while waiting to strike
adjective: denoting a fight or contest in which participants attempt to confuse or deceive each other in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
noun: a children's game in which players in a circle keep a player from moving into or out of the circle and permit a second player to move into or out of the circle to escape the pursuing first player