Saniyah Pullen, Contributing writer
If you have spent the day shopping in Richmond, you have likely encountered a business with a friendly feline roaming the store. From Lowe’s on Broad Street to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, cats have become familiar faces at establishments across the city.
While there is no documented historical reason why Richmond businesses employ cats, they have served a practical purpose in the workplace. For centuries, cats have worked as mousers, largely in distillers, to help prevent mice from invading their establishments.
Today, cats have since found their way into local establishments, becoming beloved familiars in their communities.
The Poe Museum
Hannah Rupy, marketing and development coordinator at The Poe Museum, said the groundskeeper found three kittens named Edgar, Pluto and Catterina in November 2012.
“Catterina was adopted by a staff member,” Rupy said. “Edgar and Pluto were kept at the museum and taken care of by the staff.”
Edgar remains at the museum, and after Pluto’s passing, the museum decided to adopt a kitten, Tib, to keep Edgar company, according to Rupy.
“Edgar and Tib definitely make the museum more exciting and more fun,” Rupy said. “It’s always a treat when people come to visit and they don’t know we have cats and they get really excited. It definitely brightens people’s day.”
While The Poe Museum is meant to educate on the life and work of Edgar Allen Poe, Rupy said the staff hopes the museum inspires creativity in visitors.
“It’s really about getting people to lean into more of a creative spirit, encouraging people to write their own poetry and short stories and things like that,” Rupy said. “The garden and the cats being there, it feels like a very inviting space to hone in on your own creativity and do what Poe was doing himself.”
Garnett’s Café
John Murden, manager at Garnett’s Café, said their neighbor’s cat, Toby, “adopted” the sandwich shop on his own. He said the shop’s scents, customers and atmosphere kept Toby hanging around the shop.
“Everyone was happy to see him, he was always funny,” Murden said. “He would sit around and sleep in the sun, and during Covid he always tried to sneak into the cafe.”
Murden said Toby’s presence helped draw people to Garnett’s, and he appreciates the role other local cats play in Richmond businesses.
Although Toby died in August at age 21, he remained a source of happiness for Garnett’s customers for many years, Murden said.
“He wouldn’t prance right up to you,” Murden said. “He would come over near you and see if you would pet him. He loved being picked up and he was aloof in his old man ways.”
Lowe’s on Broad Street
One of the most popular Richmond cats is Francine, who resides at the Lowe’s at 1640 W. Broad St. In 2024, Lowe’s named Francine as a “local legend” on its website.
In September of 2025, Francine went missing and local residents dedicated their time to finding her, according to a previous report by the CT.
Thousands of Richmond residents volunteered to search for her, and many used social media to bring the search to national attention, according to the CT. Francine’s disappearance was reported on by The Associated Press and The Washington Post.
An event called “Francine Fest” was hosted the following October after Francine was found, according to the CT. One of the leaders for the search and event for Francine, Elise Gilmore, stated that Francine’s search and rescue mission would not have happened outside of Richmond.
“I think Richmond is an anomaly,” Gilmore stated. “In New York, it wouldn’t have happened there. It wouldn’t have happened in Miami.”
Business Cats RVA
Business Cats RVA is a project looking to bring awareness to the cats residing at Richmond businesses.
Angie Michelsen, project manager for Business Cats RVA, said cats bring businesses and their communities together in a unique way. She said that when Francine went missing, she felt like the entire city was concerned for her safety and was looking for her.
“A lot of these businesses have rescued these cats, so it humanizes businesses in a way,” Michelsen said. “The staff are always super excited to talk about these cats, which creates a closer relationship with customers.”
More whereabouts on cats in businesses can be found at Business Cats RVA’s Instagram @business.cats.rva.