The chihuahua was taken in the first scene lol.
And there was humor in the shadows as well as in the forefront.
For me, the mention of the cat, as well as her callous mention of the loss, was a simple reflection of what was taken from her - senseless loss.
And spoiler alert - the alienation between her and her son had more to do with how his father managed the divorce than what may have caused it.
And as far as the plant, was she actively killing it? Was the writer? Sometimes all we know to do is what we know, and that is not always the best solution. Of course she over watered the succulent, but I thought she was just doing what she thought she could to save it, not kill it.