The Strange Story of the CIA’s Acoustic Kitty: A Feline Spy That Never Was

THE STRANGE STORY OF THE CIA’S ACOUSTIC KITTY: A FELINE SPY THAT NEVER WAS

If you’re a cat enthusiast, like many members of our TWFH family, thoughts of your cat’s possible future as a CIA spy may have crossed your mind at one time or another.

Although the infamous white Persian cat from James Bond films is often the feline most associated with espionage, the real-life tale of a spy cat is even more intriguing.

This great article from History.com shares how in the 1960s, the CIA launched “Operation Acoustic Kitty,” a covert project aimed at transforming cats into mobile spying devices. The plan involved implanting a microphone in a cat’s ear, a radio transmitter at the base of its skull, and weaving an antenna into its fur.

Sounds pretty crazy, huh?

Unfortunately, the project’s first test ended disastrously when the cat, released to eavesdrop on a conversation, wandered into the street and was hit by a taxi. The CIA ultimately concluded that cats were too difficult to train and abandoned the project.

Despite the failure of Acoustic Kitty, the U.S. government’s interest in animal-engineered espionage did not wane. In 2006, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) sought to develop cyborg insects. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, successfully created a remotely controllable cyborg beetle, capable of precise movements via neural stimulation. This breakthrough allowed researchers to start, stop, and control the beetle’s flight, showcasing an impressive degree of command over the insect’s movements.

While the concept of spy bugs might be unsettling, particularly for those familiar with sci-fi movies about insects taking over the world, there’s no need to worry about feline spies.

Cats’ famously aloof and independent nature ensures they remain unsuitable for espionage activities, keeping our private conversations safe from any CIA conscription attempts.