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The trio of cats that evaded tight security at last weekend's G20 Summit in Turkey brought some levity to the otherwise very serious event concerning the global economy. But animals have actually been used in the past for strategic gains.

The cats in this case came and went, as did leaders like President Obama and President Vladimir Putin, yet they clearly got through security, revealing holes in efforts meant to keep the event fully threat-free.


How could a humble feline, more interested in sniffing flowers than listening to global leaders, pose a security threat under such circumstances? Consider the following:

During World War II, members of the Special Operations Executive (SEO) in the U.K. were given The British Spy Manual, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail. The tome, which agents read and memorized in 1944 and 1945, mentioned how explosives could be hidden in rats, as well as in fruit, wine bottles, coal and handbags.

Fast forward to the present, and there is a Siamese cat named Coco, who according to Wired managed to break through encrypted Wi-Fi networks. Security researcher Gene Bransfield outfitted Coco with a special collar containing a chip loaded with custom-coded firmware, a GPS module, battery and Wi-Fi card.

upside down cat
© the dodoThey could be watching you right meow
As Coco went on his daily rounds throughout his suburban Washington, D.C., neighborhood, he managed to map dozens of homeowners' Wi-Fi networks. The high tech devices that he was wearing even identified four routers that were completely unprotected, and another four that used an old form of encryption that could easily be hacked.

Cats are not the only animals sent on missions.

An elite Navy SEALs dog named Cairo played a major role in taking out Osama bin Laden, according to multiple accounts. Rigged with seemingly more equipment than James Bond, Cairo stormed into Bin Laden's lair.

A high-definition waterproof video camera attached to his bulletproof body armor could record footage even in complete darkness and had a 180-degree field of vision. Cairo's Kevlar vest was even equipped with harnesses for rappelling and parachuting. The overall system reportedly cost $30,000 - $50,000.

Cairo's also had inherent (and free) spy skills, given that he can hear through concrete with ease. The dog retired a few years ago and, according to a New York Post report, is taking it easy with his handler Lloyd and another dog friend, a tiny beagle.

The fate of the G20 cats in Turkey remains unknown, but the country is known for its respect for cats, which are protected by law and religious beliefs. Istanbul has even affectionately been nicknamed Catstantinople on twitter, where the term has its own hashtag.