Are Heavy-Duty Mats Made From Rubber Suited for Cage Flooring?
Did you know that according to the ASPCA, 62 percent of Americans are pet owners? If you happen to be among that 62 percent, then the question of how to keep your companion healthy, happy, and comfortable has probably come up on more than one occasion. Our beloved pets come in all shapes and sizes—from an extra-large Clydesdale to a miniature tea-cup Chihuahua. This might leave you thinking that there’s no singular solution to this age old concern. However, whatever the size of your four-legged friend (or maybe even two legged if you happen to have chicken or even a kangaroo!) protective pads made out of rubber are the perfect solution. There seems to be no other product that caters to pet-owners needs quite like a heavy-duty floor made out of durable and multifaceted rubber. From ease of installation, to ease of clean up, here is a checklist of all of our reasons why we think heavy-duty mats are well suited for cage flooring.
- Ease of Installation
Protective mats need not be complicated installations! The size of your pet doesn’t much matter when it comes to comfort. Just because an animal is bigger or smaller doesn’t mean it’s any less or more inclined to feel discomfort—and as responsible pet-owners we can’t simply choose to overlook this fact. Just because our furry-friends can’t tell us with words how they’re feeling doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to accommodate their needs. But we’re also very busy playing fetch with our dogs or ridding down the bridle trail with our horse, so we need to pick something that isn’t going to be a headache to install! Rubber products come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are very easy to cut down to fit the straightforward or odd dimensions of any enclosure. Rubber also comes in a number of thicknesses, thinner for smaller pets, as well as thicker heavy-duty mats for the comfort of larger creatures. And installation is a breeze with “puzzle-locking” tiles, roll-out protective mats, or pre-sized runners.
- Hygienic
One sure fire way to keep your pet happy is to keep them healthy—and out of the dreaded veterinarian’s office. This is best achieved by making sure your beloved critter has a clean space to live in. Another fantastic trait of rubber is its natural water-resistant qualities, which make it an absolute breeze to clean up. Also, because of this natural resistance to moisture, rubber is a hostile environment for bacteria. That means there won’t be any funky parasites or icky bugs hanging around after the mat has been cleaned, and that means there’s no nasty mold or fungus posing a threat to you, your family, or your best four-legged friend.
- Slip-Resistant
If you have a dog that’s anything like my Chow-Chow, Charlie—then you know just how happy a lonely pooch can be when you come home from work! The problem is that excitement can quickly turn to damage or worse yet injury when frenzied paws meet with floors intended for human feet. A good protective pad will provide your pet with a slip-resistant surface on which to stand, keeping both them as well as your floors and furniture safe from damage. But no place is more suited for this sort of flooring than your pets own cage. After all, if there’s one place anyone should be comfortable—it should be in their own home and the same rule should definitely apply to your pet.
- Anti-Fatigue
Protective mats need not be uncomfortable! Much like humans, animals probably find cold and hard concrete floors to be rather uncomfortable—now imagine having to sleep on one? Even if you provide your pet with a fluffy pet bed, or some sort of mulch to rest on, the cold can easily soak through. But that’s just one coin of the problem, there’s also the fact that our pets might spend quite a few hours standing, sitting, or moving around inside their cage. So providing them with a softer surface upon which to perform these activities is a huge indication of a good pet-owners capability. Rubber is supple and elastic, providing a much more forgiving surface upon which to stand than cold hard concrete. A heavy-duty floor doesn’t have to be uncomfortable! This is something to keep in mind especially with bigger animals, which might be feeling a lot more strain on their joints and muscles due to their larger weight and size.
- Ease of Cleanup
As previously stated, proper hygiene is a corner stone for providing your pet with a healthy and happy life. And although we touched upon rubber’s water resistant qualities, the true ease of cleanup is definitely worth its own check-off! The surfacing you use to line your pet’s cage, so long as it’s rubber, won’t matter when it comes to clean up. Whether you use a heavy-duty mat, or interlocking tiles, or a runner of some sort—rubber is constantly easy to keep tidy. A protective pad can be hosed down, and can stand up to a more thorough scrub if necessary. A heavy-duty floor made out of rubber inside your pet’s cage won’t ever require a heavy duty washing—though if you decide to give it one, this durable and strong material will maintain its resilience.
