As a (soon to be) dad who doesn't want any more pets, it's not cause I don't like animals. I love animals... maybe too much, cause I just don't know how many more I can bury.
Maybe I need to get a pet that will outlive me. Something cuddly with a lifespan of like 60-80 years
Using the word "refused" assigns negative intent to the kid. And maybe the kid did refuse("I don't like those toys"), but I find that unlikely it they started playing with them at daycare. Maybe there are toys at home they prefer. Maybe, as others have stated, its more of an environment thing. Most kids, even when they start to be conversational, lack the vocabulary to fully express themselves. They learn to say what they don't like earlier than saying what they do like, and will often use black/white terminology even when the feeling is more nuanced.