Francine The Calico Cat returns home to a Lowe’s Store in Virginia after being missing for several weeks, only to be found in a truck that shows up at a sister facility in another state.
Two employees of a Lowe’s in Richmond made a 90-minute drive early Monday to go missing in September and were recently discovered at the company’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina.
She returned to work on Tuesday, playing with customers, taking photos and soaking them in love.
“Francine is one of us,” store manager Wayne Schneider said in a phone interview. “She’s amazing. I really can’t imagine what she means to the store and the employees here and what the employees and customers give to her every day.”
Francine spends most of her time at the customer service desk or in the seasonal area of the store. But in September, things got weird as stores were brought in for the upcoming Christmas season. Mike Fern, the store’s general manager, said the disruption may have prompted Francine to seek comfort elsewhere.
After store employees didn’t see Francine for several days, they reviewed past surveillance video. There were glimpses of her in the appliance section and then the receiving department, where she jumped into the truck. The overnight manager then closed the truck door and drove to Garysburg, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) south.
“And, of course, when she got down to the distribution center, she shot the truck,” Fern said. “That’s when we found out where she was and she was missing.”
The animal control office set up a humane trap at the distribution center, which had Francine’s photo featured throughout. The center has numerous surveillance cameras, and Lowe’s brought in a thermal drone to survey the area. an Instagram account Lowe’s relationship, dedicated to discovering Francine, has grown to over 34,000 followers.
On Saturday, Francine was spotted on camera near a distribution center. After more humane traps were set, volunteers checked each trap throughout the night. Finally, one of the traps was triggered and Francine’s cries were heard.
Schneider and Fern got in their car early Monday and drove to get Francine.
“That ride was just heartwarming knowing we were going to get her, knowing she was safe and knowing she was coming back to the store to get off her two week vacation,” Schneider said.
When Francine started living in Lowe’s more than eight years ago, she felt lost. Cats are a common sighting around feed stores and garden centers that contain large amounts of grain and seeds that are attractive to mice and rats. cat in new york city A beloved accessory of the city’s bodegas and delis.
At Lowe’s store, Francine “just showed up,” Fern said. “We had a little bit of a mouse problem. So, of course, I’m amazing. I really like this cat because it’s helping me.”
Lowe’s does not have an official policy regarding cats in its stores. Asked why Francine was not taken to someone’s residence, Fern said that she was loved by her employees and the community.
“Francine chose us. We didn’t choose her,” Fern said. “Later, we accept that she is our shop cat. But at the end of the day she came to us and where she is is where she wants to be.
Unlike the Lowe’s employees, Francine does not wear a vest. She had been equipped with several collars before, but escaped them all. Now they plan to fit her with a harness that contains information identification.
The local brewery will celebrate Homecoming with a “Francine Fest” community event on Wednesday, but the store is planning its own team party.
