I think you should write a book! You sound like the next Erma Bombeck!
My dog takes the brunt of my complaints and listens like the trooper he is, and no psych degree. And, the best part of this “therapy” is that he doesn’t comment or tell me Im wrong or whining. And, he never repeats what he hears. I think the professionals call this “self talk” if you don’t have a dog.
But, I decided years ago to limit my complaints to no more than 15 minutes a day because it’s exhausting and can get boring (for both me and the dog).
I honestly don’t know if this technique works with cats😉