When we got married, my wife desperately wanted a cat. I kept saying cats were annoying, dirty, and would destroy the furniture. She eventually stopped asking. The actual reason was embarrassing: I had a cat as a child, and when it died, I cried for weeks. I never wanted to love an animal like that again.
Last year she brought home an injured kitten "just for one night." That cat now sleeps on my chest and follows me to the bathroom. My wife thinks this is hilarious and keeps taking pictures. I still pretend I'm tolerating him for her sake, but I've already started worrying about the fact that one day he won't be here.