I have worked in the pet care industry for over 6 years and am well aware the stress a pet can be under while their parents are away including lack of appetite and anxiety. For these reasons I think pets are least stressed when cared for in a home environment. While I do have my own dogs & cat, they are always crated when we have guests and are very used to this(yes, even the cat) My cat, Garfield is very intuitive as to whether or not he should approach new dogs so please don't let this deter you if you know your dog is not good with cats. I do not allow any co-mingling without supervision for everyone's safety. I try to re-create your dog's schedule at home as closely as possible and try to make the whole stay as "normal" as possible.