According to Webster's New World Dictionary, a theme is a recurring, unifying subject or idea; motif, often one used decoratively. Therefore, one can create a theme cage by starting with either an object or an idea.

Theme cages, simply put, are cages that have been visually enhanced; they may be as simple or as intricate as one desires. However, keep in mind that the cage needs to be as large as possible. This will ensure that your pets have plenty of room to move around in and that you have plenty of room to decorate the cage. The only requirement is that the finished cage must be safe for the health and welfare of the resident guinea pigs.

How does one choose a theme? A theme can be based on a favorite hobby, such as gardening, or on something that holds ones interest like the rain forest or a foreign country. If children are helping choose a theme and decorating the cage, they might prefer to have a subject that interests them: toys, pets, books, or sports.

The first theme cage for my guinea pigs was created around navy and gold feed bowls. Using the colors of navy and gold, a similar-colored adhesive-backed paper was used to cover the base of the cage. The print on the paper contained sunflowers and this was incorporated into a theme for the cage: Sunflower Garden. A child's bed frame found at a garage sale was the item used as the starting point for The Roadster theme cage. The Lupine Garden, Country Garden, Under the Sea, Garden Retreat, and African Safari cages, on the other hand, are all based on a single idea. For these cages, the mental image was the starting point: the sea, a safari, or a garden. When creating these cages, items were used to create an environment that visually depicted a particular idea or image.

Finding decorative items

Once the theme is decided upon, the next step is to locate and assemble the things that will be used to decorate the habitat. Items may be found in various locations: your home, yard sales, and stores (thrift, craft, home improvement, and card). If a person feels creative, one can draw a habitat background or build guinea pig-proof decorations for the cage. Items that were used to decorate the above theme cages include:

• Switchplate covers
• Decorative plaques
• Colorful bowls
• Bird toys
• Wallpaper borders
• Stickers
• Adhesive-backed paper
• Aquarium decorations
• Pottery
• Theme-based cups

Guinea Pig Safety

The important thing to keep in mind is that the items for the cage need to be safe for guinea pigs to either chew on or be around. One means of making the decorations safe is to put a piece of acrylic between the object and the guinea pigs. That way, the decoration may be used but the guinea pigs will not be able to chew on it. If an item is not safe and cannot be made safe, it cannot be used.