A question for cat owners...

[Pico and ME]

If you were going to be gone for two days, would you be more inclined to leave you beloved kitty at home or would you board him? I'm so torn. My first inclination is to leave him alone in the house (with plenty of food and water of course) rather than boarding him at a kitty kennel. I know he hates to be alone, but I know he would hate being kept in a cage in a strange smelly place even more. I can ask my next door neighbor to check on him each day, but we aren't really that close and I'm not liking the idea of imposing on her.