Hardware Store’s Pet Cat Returns Home After Unplanned Road Trip

In September, a calico cat named Francine went missing from her home—a Lowe’s hardware store in Richmond, Virginia. Employees reported her missing immediately and were concerned about her for weeks. Now, they can rest easy because the feline is back where she belongs.

1. Francine’s Incredible Journey

Francine’s Incredible Journey

Before she went missing, the cat had been living at the Richmond location for about eight years. She was used to getting plenty of love from both customers and employees, which is why staff members were concerned when they hadn’t seen her for days. After checking the surveillance cameras, they noticed that she had jumped into a truck headed to Garysburg, about 85 miles away. Mike Sida, the store’s general manager, told the Associated Press that Francine might have been overwhelmed by the increased number of items arriving for the Christmas season. The chaos might have prompted her to seek a calmer environment.  

Once Francine arrived at the destination, cameras caught the cat hopping off the vehicle. The footage prompted a community-wide search to retrieve her. According to a statement from Lowe’s, efforts to locate the cat included posting flyers throughout the facility, using thermal drones, installing humane traps, and hiring professional trackers. Still, there was no sight of her for days. Eventually, workers spotted her on October 4 via surveillance cameras.  

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A few employees from the Lowe’s in Richmond then made their way to the Garysburg distribution center, where they dropped off the cat’s favorite food and dish in hopes of luring her into one of the traps. After a few days, Francine triggered a trap and was caught safe and sound. 

One 90-minute drive later, the calico was reunited with the rest of the team at the Richmond location. Now, Francine is back in Richmond, where both customers and employees are still fawning over her. 

Francine’s story is reminiscent of Valerie, the dachshund that was rescued after she went missing during a family vacation on Australia’s Kangaroo Island. But her retrieval took much longer: The small dog was rescued by the Kangala Wildlife Rescue on April 25, 2025, after being lost for approximately 530 days.