Francine, Richmond's missing "Lowe's cat," has been found as of Monday morning, Oct. 6.

A community-wide search effort to find Francine formed a few weeks ago, gaining viral attention after the beloved community cat wandered onto a distribution truck bound for North Carolina.

A homecoming for the ages

According to Lowe's Home Improvement, "At 4 a.m., two Lowe's associates made the drive to reunite with her, and when Francine jumped into their arms, she let out one big meow, as if to say, 'What took you so long?'"

As of Monday morning, Francing is back in Richmond, "safe and sound," according to Richmond SPCA. Following a vet check, she's soon to settle back into her home-sweet-home of the past eight years — Lowe's Store 1037 on West Broad Street.

The @wheresfrancine task force requests that people refrain from intentionally visiting Francine for the time being to grant her space to rest and decompress.

Celebrations to follow

Donate or adopt
In celebration of Francine's homecoming, consider donating to a local animal shelter or even adopting a dear Francine of your own. Richmond SPCA is celebrating her return by waiving all cat and adoption fees on Monday, Oct. 6 + Tuesday, Oct. 7. Find shelter options here.

Francine Fest
Working with a quick turnaround, the official Francine Fest will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 5-10 p.m. at Mainline Brewery.

Francine will not be present (she's had enough adventure), but her homecoming will be the life of the party.

Benefitting Richmond SPCA, SOS Cats RVA, and Richmond Animal Care + Control, attendees can expect live music, food trucks, a raffle, a pet supply drive, and a wholehearted celebration of this week's good news.

We missed you, Francine.