For nearly a decade, Francine had been more than just a store cat at the Lowe's in Richmond, Virginia. The former stray had become a local celebrity, spending her days in the garden department and winning over customers and employees alike.

"She wasn't quite as friendly in the very beginning, but after a little while she found her way into a lot of people's hearts," said Mike Sida, the store manager who considered Francine his favorite employee.

But a few months ago in September, Francine vanished without a trace.

Wayne Shneider, Francine's primary caretaker, suspected the worst.

"I just had a gut feeling that she was gone," Shneider said.

He believed Francine must have wandered onto a freight truck bound for Lowe's massive distribution center in North Carolina. If that was the case,

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