The Acoustic Kitty Experiment: The CIA's Secret Spy Cat Project

Photo byCIA

In a covert operation during the 1960s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched an ambitious project known as Acoustic Kitty, aiming to use cats as espionage tools against the Kremlin and Soviet embassies. The CIA noticed that stray cats would wander unimpeded into high-security areas and even top-secret meetings. No one paid them any mind. The Directorate of Science & Technology, the project involved surgically implanting sophisticated listening devices into felines.

The intricate procedure saw a veterinary surgeon implant a microphone in the cat's ear canal, a small radio transmitter at the base of its skull, and a thin wire running through its fur. These modifications were designed to enable the cat to discreetly record and transmit sound from its surroundings. However, the project faced immediate challenges; the cat’s natural instincts and distractions, such as hunger, necessitated additional surgeries to mitigate these issues. According to Victor Marchetti, a former CIA officer, the project cost approximately $20 million.

Photo byCIA

The first mission of Acoustic Kitty aimed to eavesdrop on two individuals in a park near the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C. The mission quickly went awry when the cat was allegedly struck and killed by a taxi shortly after being released. This account, however, was later disputed by Robert Wallace, a former director of the CIA’s Office of Technical Service. Wallace claimed that the project was abandoned not due to the cat's untimely death, but because training the cat to behave as required proved too difficult. He stated that the equipment was eventually removed, and the cat lived out the rest of its life comfortably.

Despite initial hopes, subsequent tests of the Acoustic Kitty also failed to deliver reliable results. The project was eventually deemed a failure and terminated in 1967. A closing memorandum noted that while the researchers believed they could train cats to move short distances, practical application in real-world intelligence situations was deemed unfeasible due to environmental and security concerns.

The existence of Acoustic Kitty remained a closely guarded secret until 2001, when the CIA declassified several documents revealing the project's details. Although there are conflicting reports about the level of success achieved, Acoustic Kitty stands as a fascinating chapter in the history of espionage, illustrating the lengths to which intelligence agencies will go in the pursuit of innovative surveillance methods.