Project Acoustic Kitty: The CIA’s Bizarre Spy Cat Experiment

History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes

Project Acoustic Kitty: The CIA’s Bizarre Spy Cat Experiment

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Published on Aug 20, 2025, 7:05:06 AM
Total time: 00:18:39

Episode Description

Silly Summer Season: The CIA’s Bonkers Spy Cat – Project Acoustic Kitty

In this delightfully absurd Silly Summer Season episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Jody takes us down the rabbit hole of one of the strangest Cold War experiments you’ve never heard of—Project Acoustic Kitty.

In the 1960s, the CIA actually spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to turn a real, living cat into a stealthy spy. The plan? Surgically implant a microphone, radio transmitter, and antenna into an adorable feline operative to eavesdrop on Soviet conversations.

From top-secret surgery to a very short-lived field mission, this story has everything—government overconfidence, questionable ethics, and one very confused kitty. Shea and Jody can barely keep it together as they imagine what could possibly go wrong with strapping espionage gear to a cat.

Grab a cool drink, settle in, and enjoy one of the most ridiculous espionage stories in history. This is Cold War absurdity at its finest.

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More about History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes

Looking for a funny podcast that makes history wild, weird, and unforgettable?

History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is the best history podcast for fans of outrageous true stories, ridiculous history, and unfiltered humor—with the occasional dip into true crime.

Hosts Shea and Jody dig up the strangest moments in American history, with a special love for the Pacific Northwest and the rest of Western North America. From haunted ghost towns and scandalous figures to bizarre disasters and a sprinkle of true crime, no rabbit hole is off-limits!

History doesn’t have to be boring—especially when it’s filled with laughter, chaos, and jaw-dropping stories they didn’t teach in school.

 

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