Eight years ago, the ‘cat distribution system’ allocated an adorable white and tortie stray feline named ‘Francine’ to the Lowe’s home improvement store on West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia. Francine has since become a permanent and popular fixture of the store. Her laidback nature and friendly disposition make her a favorite amongst staff and shoppers alike, with many customers stopping by just to get their ‘Francine fix’ for the week.

Dianne Jackson, regular customer and self-declared “not a cat person,” makes an exception when it comes to Francine. “This is the nicest, friendliest cat I’ve ever run across. If you’re a regular, when you come here, you look for her.”

So when Francine didn’t clock in one morning in September at her usual time, Wayne Schneider, a department supervisor and one of Francine’s primary caregivers, knew something was wrong.

Wayne initially thought she was just hiding from the chaos caused by the arrival of holiday products and decorations, but when she still hadn’t been seen by the following day, Wayne raised the alarm, and CCTV recordings were scoured for clues to her whereabouts.

Footage from their delivery bay revealed that this inquisitive feline had stowed away on a truck headed for the Lowe’s distribution center, 85 miles away in Garysburg, North Carolina.

Wayne immediately jumped in his car, expecting to find a relieved Francine upon his arrival. However, this adventurous feline had no intention of cutting her trip short. Days passed with no confirmed sightings of the wayward cat. In addition to closely monitoring the 246 cameras at the distribution center, the Lowe’s team brought in thermal imaging drones to aid the search. Finally, a familiar shape was spotted on CCTV, and Francine casually made her way into one of the humane cat traps that had been set up around the area.

Wayne and the Lowes Richmond store manager, Mike Sida, wasted no time, driving back to Garysburg in the wee hours for a long-awaited reunion. After Wayne made sure she was healthy and eating, she made a victorious return to the store on Monday, October 6, and since then, she has had no shortage of visitors.

“Francine is the heart of Lowe’s,” says Wayne, whose affection for the cat is obvious. “She is a gentle soul, approachable to anybody – The queen of cats.”

Francine, of course, doesn’t seem to know what all the fuss is about, but she seems happy to enjoy all the attention. And just in case she decides to take off on another adventure, her brand new harness has been fitted with an AirTag; not that we imagine anyone will be letting her out of their sight any time soon!

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