A beloved shop cat disappeared. Security footage solved the mystery.

The most revered employee at the Lowe’s home improvement store in Richmond is friendly, reliable and easy to approach, albeit kind of lazy.

She’s also a cat.

Francine has lived at the West Broad Street Lowe’s since 2017, when she wandered in as a stray. Employees feed and care for the white calico, estimated to be 12 or 13 years old, while shoppers shower her with near-constant affection as she lies on pallets and weaves through shelves of plants.

“She’s the first stop for probably 75 percent of our customers,” said store manager Mike Sida. “She’s extremely friendly, and she loves people.”

“There’s a lot of people that come here just to visit Francine,” he added.

But in mid-September, Francine stopped showing up for dinner. No one had seen her in days.

Francine was missing.

Chas Nabi, who frequently visits Francine, heard about her disappearing act from a store employee. He wanted to help track her down.

Nabi and his friend, fellow Francine-lover Elise Gilmore, took to social media to spread the word. They started an Instagram account where news of the search spread fast, gaining thousands of followers in its first day. They also started a petition to urge Lowe’s to use more tactical measures to find Francine.

Richmond is “a city full of animal lovers and people who are just very passionate about the things that we care about,” Gilmore said. “One thing that everyone in Richmond cares about is Francine.”

Staff at the Richmond Lowe’s were also on the case, and security camera footage revealed Francine had wandered into the back of a distribution truck heading 85 miles south to Garysburg, North Carolina.

She spent the next two weeks running around the nearly 1.4 million square foot Lowe’s regional distribution center in the town, unknowingly evading capture.

Volunteers plastered missing posters with Francine’s face all over the North Carolina facility and around town.

A Garysburg animal control officer set humane traps in the facility, hoping to lure the cat in.

Still, she was nowhere to be found.

Lowe’s corporate deployed thermal drones to the facility and installed thermal cameras hoping to catch a glimpse of the feline.

Then, on Oct. 4, Francine was spotted on security cameras at the Garysburg facility – over two weeks after she was reported missing.

After learning of the sighting, Sida and Wayne Schneider, an associate at the Richmond store who feeds Francine each morning, jumped in the car and hit the road.

They brought Francine’s kibble and rattled it around the regional distribution center hoping to draw her out, to no avail. Sida and Schneider headed back to Virginia.

But there was hope. They knew Francine hadn’t gone far.

On Sunday, 17 days after Francine had gone missing, she finally walked into a trap.

Schneider said he was “overjoyed” to get the call. Sida and Schneider hit the road again at 4 a.m. the next day.

“She was crying a little bit once we got her.” Schneider said. “Then she got in my arms and it just felt like pure joy.”

“On the ride back up to Richmond I don’t even think she cried one bit,” Schneider said. “She was just so relaxed and relieved to see and smell and be with us. She took the ride back to Richmond like a dream.”

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula was among those celebrating the rescue mission, thanking the city for coming together to save the “furry icon.” “Your compassion, dedication and community spirit remind me of why this city is so special,” he said on Instagram.

Nabi said everyone needed some really good news, referencing uncertainty amid the federal government shutdown.

“In incredibly polarized times, it’s amazing to see every everybody, no matter what their background is, come together over this little cat,” he said.

Richmond plans to celebrate Francine’s return with “Francine Fest” on Wednesday at Mainline Brewery. A portion of proceeds will go to Richmond Animal Care and Control, SOS Cats RVA and the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Before she settled back into life on her old stomping grounds, Francine made a visit to the vet for a quick checkup, where the doctor gave the all-clear.

After a hectic, unplanned vacation, Francine was back at work Tuesday, undoubtedly soaking up even more love and affection than usual.

She also has a new accessory: an AirTag.