Did samurai use armoured cats and mice in battle?

The beautiful and imposing samurai armour from the Warring States period (sengoku jidai) still fascinates people today, and there are historians who have dedicated their lives to finding out as much about ancient warfare as possible. We know that warriors often rode horseback, but did samurai also use armoured cats and mice in their epic battles?!

Unfortunately this isn’t some exciting new discovery about feline warfare, but a lovingly created piece of art made by Jeff de Boer, a Canadian artist who works primarily with metal. He started out making armour for humans, and then hit upon the idea of creating armour for a cat. Once a cat piece was in existence, he felt it only natural to create one for a mouse, too. After all, cats and mice have been enemies since long before the sprawling battles of humankind. He now has a whole range of pieces including Western-style and Japanese-samurai-inspired suits. With his intimate knowledge of the history and craftsmanship of armour, de Boer has been able to make his animal armour incredibly detailed and realistic. If I saw these in a museum I wouldn’t question their authenticity!

Below are photos of some of his beautiful and unique armour creations for ferocious cats and tiny mice.

Cats