Viral Lowe’s cat Francine found safe after massive rescue effort

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You won’t believe this, but Francine, that famous Lowe’s cat from Richmond, Virginia, is back! She went missing at the end of September and everyone was worried, but thankfully she’s been found. It’s awesome news for all of us who followed her story!

For the past eight years, a calico cat named Francine has lived at the Lowe’s store on West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia.

Okay, so there’s this cat that basically *works* at a store, and everyone loves her! She’s become a real part of the shopping experience, and people – both customers and the staff – were super worried when she went missing back in late September. It caused a bit of a panic online, especially among cat lovers like me!

Coworkers reported that she mistakenly got onto a delivery truck and ended up at the Lowe’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina—about 85 miles from her store. Everyone was so worried about her that a group of volunteers drove to Garysburg to bring her back.

Lowe’s stated they would only permit the Northampton County Animal Control to enter their property to rescue Francine, expressing their belief that the agency could successfully bring her home.

The SPCA stepped in to help, and local groups posted flyers and offered a $2,000 reward for the cat’s safe return. Lowe’s went the extra mile, even using heat-sensing drones to search their warehouse.

Francine the Lowe’s cat returns home after a week missing

She was finally seen on security cameras on October 4, 2025. The following day, workers from the Richmond Lowe’s drove an hour and a half to the Garysburg distribution center and used her favorite food as bait to try and catch her.

Camera footage captured Francine carefully approaching a cat trap in the parking lot, and eventually, one closed behind her. Thankfully, Wayne Schneider and Mike Sida, employees of Lowe’s, took her home on October 6th.

Schneider remembered the rescue, saying the cat looked at them and seemed to ask, ‘Why did it take you so long?’ with a loud meow.

Sida shared that bringing Francine home was always their top priority. She’s a valued member of their team, and the moment they confirmed it was her, everyone was overjoyed. It was an incredibly emotional and uplifting experience.

Lowe’s expressed gratitude to the animal rescue groups involved in bringing Francine home, calling her return a heartwarming demonstration of community spirit and compassion.

Recently, another touching animal reunion captured the internet’s attention. A woman in California was happily reunited with her dog, who had been missing since July, after he was discovered over 2,000 miles away in Illinois on October 1st.

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2025-10-07 01:19