If you are at all interested:
"Hegseth’s claim about marbles being inserted into the rear ends of cats is correct, but lacks all context.
Soldiers — or anyone else — who suffer severe spinal cord injuries can lose control of their bowels. The study used anesthetized cats as test subjects to study the impact of a new procedure to restore functionality in the sphincter and rectum. The marbles were meant to simulate defecation and determine whether a procedure restored control in test subjects."
‘Marbles in the rear ends of cats’: What Hegseth was talking about
Helping soldiers recover from spinal cord injuries not a worthwhile expenditure ?