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Cat living at Lowe's wanders onto out-of-state delivery truck. Volunteers came to the rescue.

A purr-fectly wild and heartwarming story.

cats, lowe's, lowe's cat, animal welfare, animal rescue

The "Lowe's cat" went missing after wandering onto a delivery truck. But there's a happy ending.

Photo credit: Lowe's (cropped)
Ryan Reed
By Ryan ReedOct 07, 2025
Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed is a contributing writer for GOOD residing in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has contributed to Rolling Stone, Relix, Revolver, SPIN and The New York Times.
See Full Bio

Francine—the Internet-famous "Lowe’s cat" that has lived for eight years at a store in Richmond, Virginia—has endured quite an ordeal over the past few weeks. After going missing in mid-September, the unofficial mascot went viral as volunteers began their exhaustive quest to bring her home. Luckily, the story has a happy ending, but getting to that point was a legitimate roller-coaster ride.

Let’s start at the beginning. According to the Lowe’s corporate site, a cat wandered into the store’s outdoor Lawn and Garden section and... never left. Named Francine, she became a sort of local celebrity, with many customers specifically seeking her out and taking photos when she stopped by for pet sessions. Reflecting her local celebrity, an official Richmond Monopoly board even included an action card telling players to "visit the Lowe’s cat Francine." In other words, she's a big deal.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Of course, people were saddened to learn in September that Francine had reportedly vanished after wandering onto a delivery truck heading to a distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina—around 85 miles south of Richmond. As local outlet WTVR CBS 6 reports, the kitty’s disappearance rallied the animal-welfare community, with volunteers quickly mobilizing to begin their search.

"In addition to the 246 cameras already monitoring the distribution center, Lowe’s brought in thermal drones to scan the area," the company wrote in a news release. "Lowe’s asset protection team monitored every lead, while operations continued safely and smoothly." An Instagram account, "Where’s Francine?", was established, and a $2,000 reward was even offered by a local Trap, Neuter, and Return organization called SOS Cats RVA.

Then, on October 4, Francine was spotted on camera. “I can’t describe the feeling when we realized it was her,” said Mike Sida, store manager of the Richmond location, in the Lowe's release, “We all just lit up.” Side and Lowe’s associate Wayne Schneider reportedly assembled a small crew and made the 90-minute trip to North Carolina, where they set up additional humane traps and cameras. Thanks to these efforts, everyone was eventually reunited. “When I received the text that we got her and she was safe, I just couldn’t stop smiling,” Schneider said.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

After the news broke about the feline’s return home, Where Is Francine? Updated their 32,000 followers with an important note: "Please do not go to the Lowe’s to see Francine. She has had a long business trip and deserves a long rest. The best way to show her the love we all have for her is to not overwhelm her." They also added that a celebration of her return, "Francine Fest," will be announced soon.

This isn’t the only beautiful animal-reunion story to circulate in recent months. In August, the Arkansas company Natural State Drone Solutions utilized its technology to help rescue a missing dachshund from the clutches of a coyote. The drone pilot, Chris Laughlin, wrote that the pup in question, Whiskey, "miraculously survived with zero injuries" beyond superficial scratches. Sometimes people are genuinely good.

- YouTube youtu.be

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