Seven cats and kittens played the title character. Each one received a case of Fancy Feast and an assortment of cat toys. Since Keegan-Michael Key is allergic to cats, he had to take a medication in order to interact with them.
In an interview with Ellen in December of 2017, Tiffany Haddish stated that she kept one of the cats who played Keanu as a pet.
This is Keegan-Michael Key's and Jordan Peele's first motion picture, and their first major production after the conclusion of Key and Peele (2012).