Operation Acoustic Kitty: Not the CIA’s Most Purrfect Plan

By | January 14, 2019

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This isn’t exactly what the CIA had in mind when it launched Operation Acoustic Kitty in 1961, but this cat, George, is doing his part to keep a watchful eye on the city in 1957. Source: (Photo by Dennis Rowe/BIPs/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Cold War era brought out the paranoia in many people, but none more so than the CIA. The Central Intelligence Agency would stop at nothing to learn Soviet secrets. To accomplish this goal, the CIA developed all sorts of wacky schemes but the craziest of them all may have been Operation Acoustic Kitty, the CIA’s plan to train cats to spy on the Soviets. Yes, you read that right…the CIA actually thought they could train cats! 

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Source: (pintrest.com)

Spy Cats

The idea behind Acoustic Kitty was that cats wander in and out and occasionally – only on their own terms – snuggle on a person’s lap. Cats are cute, fluffy, and seemingly innocent…the purrrfect cover for a spy. No one would suspect that the meowing fur ball asleep in the corner was actually listening in on conversations and reporting back to the CIA.