Key and Peele in Oakland to promote film and cat adoptions

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Hollywood stars Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele, better known as Key and Peele were in Oakland Wednesday to promote their upcoming film, ‘Keanu’, and to make a pitch for animal adoption at the Cat Town Café.

"This is a story about a guy who starts at his low point and fights for something that is sacred to him," Peele said. 

That's where his kitten Keanu comes in.

The four legged animal fills the hole in Peele's character's heart after his girlfriend dumps him, but when Keanu goes missing, the duo who play cousins, work together to rescue their cat, but doing so means they have to infiltrate gang territories. 

"We put ourselves into situations where we might get shot. We could die. We're basically walking into The Wire or New Jack City," says Peele.  

Key and Peele get top billing on the film, although the true stars are the cats and kittens used to make the movie.

The filmmakers say there's a message to the film: adopting cats and kittens. 

"Every single kitten that is a used in this movie is a rescue kitten. Every cat is a rescue cat and some of the cats were adopted by members of the crew," says Keegan-Michael Key. 

Oakland's Cat Town Cafe is a nonprofit shelter that also benefited from the movie.  The cafe was renamed Keanu's Krib for the day. It's a place where for a small donation or purchase.  You can hang out with kittens and cats that need a home.  And if you like them you can even adopt one. 

"Sometimes you can go to the shelter and get a little sad and depressed by the environment so we're trying to create something fun," says Adam Myatt of Cat Town Cafe. 

"This is legitimately the nicest coolest cat shelter I've ever seen.  This is better than a regular human cafe," says Peele.  

Those at the shelter were happy to get the publicity that will come with the film. The movie opens April 29th, but if you want to hang out at Cat Town, it's open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.