Rolling out the Red Carpet for Popeye

Well, it's not actually red and it's not actually a carpet. But it is for Popeye. They're actually foam mats. Foam mats are often hyped as "anti-fatigue" and are said to reduce strain on the feet, ankles, legs, and back. I hadn't heard any of that when I first saw these at Costco.

What immediately came to my mind was that these would be great for Popeye. They're about a quarter of an inch thick, so fairly cushiony. Something similar to those thicker foamy type mousepads.



Our house is mostly carpeted except for the kitchen area and the walkway between the front and back doors. Those are tiled. So when Popeye hops around there, they are very hard on his bum. Keep in mind he has no fat or muscle in his rear, so his tailbone is hitting that tile every time.

We had lined the walkway with a bunch of old rugs. Aside from not being that cushioned, they were a hassle to vacuum (the ends would always get sucked up in the vacuum cleaner), plus the dogs would eventually fold them over when they ran. But they were better than nothing.

So I was excited when I saw these foam mats. We bought 18 of them. Enough to line the tile from the front door all the way to the back room.



They are great because not only do they provide a good deal of cushion for Popeye's bum, they are easy to clean, they stay put, and they are no-slip. These would be great for pets who had trouble balancing on smooth, slippery surfaces, such as those suffering from arthritis or degenerative myelopathy.



Now Popeye can bounce around with all his might when he's chasing the other dogs (somehow he's the one always doing the chasing), and I don't have to cringe everytime his butt hits the floor.