~15 min south to Great Mall, Milpitas. Slow morning first — nothing before this.
Drive·15 min·8 mi
Cat cafe — Mini Cat Town kitten lounge at Mini Cat Town
Great Mall, Milpitas · 2 guests
Dairy-free · No food served — it’s a kitten lounge, so nothing to screen. Grab a light dairy-free bite at the Great Mall food court (Shihlin Taiwanese snacks, etc.) if you’re hungry before Costco.
Parking · Free Great Mall parking; the lounge is inside near Marshalls (Spc 121).
Walk-in kitten lounge, $15pp for a 30-min session (adoption floor too). Weekend waitlists start ~2pm, so arriving right after it opens at noon keeps it calm and wait-free. Nonprofit rescue — the whole point is unhurried time with the kittens.
On the way home from Milpitas, so the cold stuff goes straight to the fridge. Grab tonight’s UFC dinner + the week’s groceries. Nathan pushes the cart and loads the car.
Drive·10 min·6 mi
Home to Newark — relax, then 6:00 PM UFC + dinner in
Groceries away, then an open afternoon on the couch. At 6:00 PM it’s the UFC watch party at home — cook the Costco haul together (dairy-free dinner in), fights on. Nothing runs late; Sunday stays protected.
Why it fits
Built around exactly what you two asked for — a Costco run and a cat cafe — kept to one tight Milpitas→Fremont loop so the cold groceries go straight home and there’s barely any driving.
The kitten lounge is the fun, low-stim anchor: calm, cute, unhurried time together, and going at noon beats the weekend waitlist. Home by mid-afternoon with a long rest block before the fights.
Home by 6:00 for UFC — cook the Costco haul together, dairy-free by your own hand, no reservation to make and no late night.
Bring
Reusable / insulated cooler bags for the cold Costco itemsCostco cardHand sanitizer or wipes for after the kitten loungeSunglasses for the drive (sunny, ~82°F)
Backup
If Mini Cat Town has a wait or the kittens are booked out, Mini Cat Town also has an Eastridge (San Jose) location, or swap in a quick browse of the Great Mall while you’re there. Hungry before Costco? The Great Mall food court has dairy-free Taiwanese/Vietnamese options a few steps from the lounge. If UFC start time shifts, the whole outing still wraps by mid-afternoon with room to spare.
Outcome
Win. The kitten lounge + one-loop errand day worked — low-stim anchor, minimal driving, home early for UFC and cooking in.