Yes and no. On one (nihilistic) hand, you live to die. The other hand (the better one) is that you give your own meaning to live. Fill in the spaces between the living, dying, and suffering parts, to make them seem insufficient in comparison. Just like the time you spent with your cat.

Nothing makes either side any less true - it’s all up to interpretation. For your mental health, though, it’s better to follow the latter.

At least it teaches them to be resourceful and safe.