When you’re hauling freight across state lines, you never know what might end up in the back of a trailer, and for one semi truck load out of Virginia, the unexpected passenger was a cat named Francine.
Francine, the resident calico cat at a Lowe’s in Richmond, vanished for a few weeks before being discovered safe and sound hundreds of miles away. Her adventure began when she accidentally hitched a ride on a semi truck headed to the company’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina, about an hour and a half south.
Two of her coworkers, Lowe’s employees from the Richmond store, made the early morning drive on Monday to bring her home. By Tuesday, Francine was back on duty, greeting customers, lounging around the seasonal section, and soaking up all the attention she’d missed.
“Francine is one of us,” said store supervisor Wayne Schneider. “She’s just amazing. What she means here to the store and the employees, you really can’t imagine the outpouring that the employees and also the customers give her daily.”
How the Great Cat Caper Happened
Francine’s detour started as the store was unpacking Christmas merchandise last month. The commotion may have startled her, and before anyone realized it, she’d slipped into the receiving area and right into a waiting truck.
After a few days with no sign of her, managers checked store cameras and caught footage of Francine darting between the appliance aisles before climbing aboard a trailer. The overnight manager shut the door, and just like that, she was off to North Carolina.
Store general manager Mike Sida recalled, “And then, of course, when she got down to the distribution center, she shot off the truck. That’s when we found out where she was, and she was missing.”
A Full Scale Search
The Lowe’s team wasn’t about to give up on their furry coworker. The Garysburg distribution center set humane traps, posted flyers, and even used thermal drones to help locate her. An Instagram page dedicated to finding Francine quickly gained more than 34,000 followers, showing just how many people were rooting for her safe return.
After several days of searching, cameras caught a glimpse of Francine near the facility. Volunteers checked traps throughout the night until one finally triggered, and the sound of her meows confirmed she’d been found.
“That ride going down, knowing that we were going to get her, was just heartwarming. Knowing she’s safe and that she’s coming back to the store to get off her two-week vacation,” Schneider said.
The Cat Who Came to Stay
Francine’s story with Lowe’s began eight years ago, when she simply wandered into the store. Like many truck stops and feed stores across the country, cats often hang around to help keep the mice population in check.
“She just showed up,” Sida said. “We had a bit of a mice problem. So, of course, I’m like, wow. I like this cat a lot because it’s helping me.”
Over time, Francine became part of the team, a kind of unofficial mascot for both employees and shoppers.
“Francine picked us. We didn’t pick her,” Sida said. “Later, we would embrace her being our store cat. But at the end of the day, she came to us. Where she’s at is where she wants to be. She does whatever she wants.”
Unlike the store crew, Francine doesn’t wear a uniform, and she’s managed to escape every collar she’s ever been given. Now, the team plans to fit her with a new harness and ID tag, just in case she decides to go exploring again.
To celebrate her safe return, a local brewery is hosting a Francine Fest this week, and the store is planning its own employee party. For now, Francine’s back at her post, curled up near customer service, keeping watch, and proving once again that some of the best coworkers come with whiskers.
Image Source: AP Photo
