When Sage Horn and Jakob Mattern first got together, there was one small difference between them: Horn was a full-blown cat lover, while Mattern hadn’t quite caught the bug—yet. That didn’t last long.
“[He] knows that I LOVE my cats so dearly. They’ve been such a huge and special part of my life,” Horn told The Dodo. “We adopted Piper a little over a year after moving into our first home together.”
These days, the couple’s cats, Phoenix and Piper, are cherished members of the family. So when Horn came home one Valentine’s Day expecting both cats to greet her at the door—but only Phoenix showed up—she was immediately on alert.
“I went upstairs, greeted my boyfriend with flowers and chocolates, and asked, ‘Where’s Piper?’” she said. “Jakob told me he must’ve accidentally shut her in our bedroom.”
They opened the door to find Piper patiently waiting. But something was… off. Her collar looked different.
Before Horn could investigate, Piper darted toward the kitchen, probably expecting dinner. Horn followed—and when she finally got a clear look at the new collar, her heart stopped.
“There it was,” she said. “A tag that read, ‘Will you marry me.’ I turned around, and Jakob was on one knee, smiling, holding a ring.”
“Babes,” he said, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you—and the kitties.”
Stunned and overwhelmed with joy, Horn said yes.
The moment couldn’t have been more perfect. Not only did it happen on a day meant for love, but Piper got to play a starring role in a memory they’ll treasure forever.
Now, as Horn looks ahead to a future with Mattern, she knows one thing for sure: their love story will always include two very special cats.
