India, Nov. 9 -- It had a microphone in its ear, a transmitter beneath its skin and an antenna woven into its fur. It was also supposed to be one of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) most unusual surveillance tools.

During the Cold War, the American intelligence agency experimented with turning a cat into a spy, hoping it could get close to unsuspecting targets and record their conversations. The operation had all the ingredients of a spy thriller, except that its central agent refused to follow instructions.

Known as Operation Acoustic Kitty, the project launched in 1964 and was designed to help the CIA monitor conversations between foreign agents and their Soviet handlers in public places. Park benches and other open spaces were...