magic mouse surface?

I've been using my imac solidly for over a year now, and while the experience on the whole has been very positive, the "magic" mouse has so far been an absolute nightmare. One thing I can't figure out - what am I supposed to put it on? I tried using it on my desk, and the horrible black strips on the bottom stripped away the surface of my desk. Now I have it on a generic mouse mat, but it sometimes doesn't respond well at all - I think it doesn't like the material it's made of??

so my question is... is there a particular kid of mat or pad I need to be using?