Will seams on desk pads mess up my mouse?

Probably not. Modern optical mice handle slight texture changes without a hitch because the sensor reads the surface, not the gap between pads. As long as the pads are flush with no big raised lip or gap, the cursor won’t jump or stutter. The real culprit is usually a cheap curling pad or one that slides around—tape them together underneath with double-sided carpet tape to kill movement and level the seam. If your mouse still freaks out, it’s time for a new mouse.