When the CIA reportedly spent $20 million trying to turn a cat into a spy
Operation Acoustic Kitty began in 1964 as a CIA project to eavesdrop on conversations between foreign agents and their Soviet handlers in public places.
In the 1960s, the CIA explored the idea of using a cat as a covert surveillance tool during the Cold War era. Known as Operation Acoustic Kitty, the project aimed to equip the feline with specialized equipment to capture and transmit conversations from public spaces like park benches. The Central Intelligence Agency invested around $20 million in this unusual endeavor, which involved implanting a microphone in the cat's ear, a transmitter beneath its skin, and an antenna woven into its fur.
Despite the advanced technology, the cat proved to be uncontrollable, wandering into danger instead of following CIA-directed routes. The cat's unpredictable behavior ultimately led to the discontinuation of the experiment in 1967. The CIA denied claims that the cat suffered during the implantation process, stating that the procedures were carried out in low-risk microsurgical conditions similar to those in veterinary clinics.
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