The CIA spent $20 million surgically implanting spy equipment into a live cat to eavesdrop on the Soviets — then sent it on its first mission, where it was hit by a taxi.
During the Cold War, the CIA's Directorate of Science & Technology developed a program called Acoustic Kitty: an attempt to turn ordinary cats into covert listening devices for spying on Soviet targets, including the Kremlin and Soviet embassies in Washington, D.C.
A veterinary surgeon performed an hour-long operation on the cat, implanting a microphone in its ear canal, a small radio transmitter at the base of its skull, and a thin antenna wire threaded through its fur. An additional procedure was performed to address the cat's tendency to wander off when hungry — a 'distraction issue' that was interfering with mission performance.
The program cost an estimated $20 million — roughly $180 million in today's money. This made it one of the most expensive surveillance investments the CIA had made in the 1960s, directed at a single animal.
For its inaugural field mission, the cat was deployed near the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C. to eavesdrop on two individuals. According to the most popular account — told by former CIA officer Victor Marchetti — the cat promptly walked into traffic and was killed by a taxi.
A later account from a former Office of Technical Service director disputed the taxi story, claiming the cat actually survived and 'lived a long and happy life' after its equipment was removed. Either way, the mission was a complete failure.
The CIA officially terminated Operation Acoustic Kitty in 1967. The closing memorandum concluded that, while cats could technically be directed across short distances, 'environmental and security factors' made the whole approach hopelessly impractical. The project remained classified until 2001.