Operation 'Acoustic Kitty': Learn About The Hilarious CIA Fail Involving Training Cats To Be The Fluffiest Spies In The Cold War (Viral Twitter Thread)

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jun 25, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Sometimes we wonder how much "intelligence" is in the CIA because, from our humble experience with cats, they are not most easily trainable. So the thought of training them as microphones to listen in on secret conversations in specific locations seems like a bit of a stretch to us, but hey, the Cold War was a different time. The CIA took a few cats and surgically implanted microphones and antennae in the cats ears, and then sowed them back up. The whole project was a terrible abuse of animal rights, but again, it was the 1960s, and animal rights weren't in the place that they are now.

The project was, of course, a failure. Shortly after one of the cats was fully trained, it was injured shortly after being released into the field. After a few more attempts, the CIA determined that the energy and resources required to train and implant the listening devices was not worth the time and money. The cats had their spy devices removed, and were released to live long and healthy lives (or so the CIA says). Scroll down to see the hilarious comments on this thread and learn more about the project!

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  • 01
    Font - In the 1960s, the CIA tried to spy on the Kremlin and Russian embassies by turning cats into listening devices. The program, called Acoustic Kitty, involved surgically implanting batteries, microphones and antennae inside cats.
    via @historyinmemes
  • 02
    Font - Cats are known for their independent nature, making them difficult to train. However, in the 1960s, the CIA attempted the seemingly impossible. Their mission was to extract classified information from the Soviet Union using listening devices. But these bugs picked up too much background noise, rendering the recordings useless. In a desperate move, the CIA's scientists came up with Project Acoustic Kitty. They implanted an audio transmitter into a cat, hoping it could inconspicuously gathe
    via @historyinmemes

    Peculiar, indeed! Well, we could have told them the same thing and saved them probably hundreds of thousands of dollars, but who wants our opinion? Some you have to learn things the hard way, and it sounds like they definitely learned that this was a silly idea.

  • 03
    Photograph - Sibel Esther Α Ω Replying to @historyinmemes @SibelAstarte . Jun 16 I AM DEFINITELY NOT A SPY ...
    via @SibelAstarte
  • 04
    Cat
    via @historyinmemes
  • 05

    Floofy Spy, Exhibit A

    Cat
    via @Yubbie007

    This is one the spy cats, that was shortly injured after being released into the field. The cat survived and was treated for his injuries by the CIA. He was nursed back to health, had his spy gear taken out, and was released to live a normal civilian life.

  • 06
    Font - The Consultant @Flocaine · Jun 17 Replying to @Yubbie007 and @historyinmemes Of all the domestic/urban wildlife in this world, cats are the worst available option forth is operation.
    via @Flocaine
  • 07
    Cat
    via @Tiamat_Amagi
  • 08
    Font - Spy Cat. In the '60s, the CIA launched Operation Acoustic Cat. The plan was to train cats to eavesdrop on Russian conversations. The first agent cat with a microphone in its ear, a transmitter in its collar and an antenna implanted in its tail was delivered to its position. Tragically killed under the wheels of a cab. A partially censored 1967 CIA memo states that "from a practical point of view, this program is not suitable for our highly specialized needs".
    via @Yubbie007
  • 09
    Cat - Earl @orientearlgrey. Jun 17 Replying to @Tiamat_Amagi and @historyinmemes Somehow the cat in the photo has an uncanny resemblance to mine. Except my cat prefers taking naps.
    via @orientearlgrey
  • 10
    Cat - Lt. Bor jr @Borjr3. Jun 17 Replying to @Tiamat_Amagi and @historyinmemes Gato on a spy mission to finish me.
    via @Borjr3
  • 11
    Font - multibitcoinair @multibitcoinair. Jun 17 Replying to @historyinmemes This sure turned out to be a big "cat"-astrophe.
    via @multibitcoinair
  • 12
    Cat - Hariz @harizrasol. Jun 17 Replying to @Tiamat_Amagi and @historyinmemes My cat every time he's on the spy job.
    via @harizrasol
  • 13
    Font - KF Replying to @ErrataRob Acoustic Kitty: "When an isolated but brilliant CIA engineer is asked to help turn cats into surveillance devices, he soon learns that his new co-workers are even more bizarre than his new assignment. Which, naturally, is why he begins spying on them" #Cats4Intel @dotslash Mar 13, 2019
    via @dotslash
  • 14
    Cat - cosmos dicere * @cosmos_hp. Jun 16 Replying to @Tiamat_Amagi and @historyinmemes Meu bebê.
    via @cosmos_hp
  • 15
    Human body - Truth GPT @TruthGPTBot. Jun 17 Automated Replying to @historyinmemes Wow, the CIA really went full Dr. Evil with the Acoustic Kitty program. But let's be real, if my cat was turned into a spy, they'd probably just end up napping on the job.
    via @TruthGPTBot
  • 16
    Bird - Darby Bailey Replying to @historyinmemes So they moved from cats to birds? @DarbyBaileyXO . Jun 16 Elon Musk @elonmusk. Jun 16 This conspiracy theory that birds are actually government spy drones is ... totally false Birds are your friends and harmless. ←trustworthy! There is no need to be alarmed or to watch your words when in range of a cute nice fluffy bird. : Please report any messages saying otherwise.
    via @DarbyBaileyXO
  • 17
    Font - Starbuck @kthrace8 Jun 16 Replying to @historyinmemes and @g_knapp You have to wonder how much "intelligence" is actually in the CIA when they try stuff like this. Because Historacly cats are known to be so easily trained (sarcasm).
    via @kthrace8
  • 18
    Font - RyeChip @RyeChip_ . Jun 16 Replying to @historyinmemes Using cats for anything other than pest control or companionship rarely goes well
    via @RyeChip_

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