How to Bunny Proof Halloween Decorations, Safety Tips

Make Halloween fun for you and your bunny

Halloween can be a scary time for house bunnies. Changes in routine and new activities during Halloween can be unsettling for bunnies.

Noisy decorations, kids running around in costumes, and constant doorbell ringing can negatively affect your bunny's behavior.

Without careful consideration, your bunny may become unsociable and even suffer stress as they shy away from the noise and intrusion.

There are also potential dangers in the form of toxic foods and hazardous decorations like electrified ornaments and candles.

In this guide, we share the best advice from experienced bunny parents who have learned how to make Halloween stress-free for their bunnies.

This knowledge comes from the contributions of 50,000 members of our bunny proofing Facebook group over the last 10 years.

We have guidance on bunny proofing your Halloween decorations, including protecting electrical lights to prevent them from being chewed.

We also offer tips for managing guests and provide a checklist you can use with them.

We tell you what Halloween treats can be harmful to feed your bunnies so you can keep them out of your harm's reach.

We recommend a safe amount of pumpkin flesh your bunny can eat.

We'll advise you on creating a safe space for your bunny during Halloween.

We have recommendations for ensuring your bunny has a safe space for Halloween.

We also offer guidance on Halloween costumes safety for bunnies.

So, if you want Halloween to be safe and fun for your bunny, follow these simple step-by-step instructions.

Bunny proofing Halloween lights and decorations

The soft insulation of power cords offer little protection from a bunnies razor sharp teeth

Electric lights, ornaments and decoration

Plug-in Halloween decorations can pose a danger to unsuspecting bunnies. The soft insulation of trailing power cords offers little protection from a bunny's razor-sharp teeth. If chewed, this can result in burns to your bunny's mouth and even serious electric shock.

Electric lights can also become extremely hot to the touch and could burn your bunny as they explore them. Additionally, they are often made of materials that your bunny could get entangled in that shatter easily, leading to harm.

Keep electrical decorations and lights out of your bunny's reach. Bunnies are curious creatures, and it only takes your back to be turned for a moment for them to get into trouble.

To help, you can arrange your decorations around bits of furniture to hide the cables. Move your furniture in front of plug sockets and trail the cables behind out of reach.

If you have strings of lanterns or fairy lights, be mindful not to let these trail down to the floor. It's best to hang these up off the ground.

Remember, bunnies are naturally curious, so do not underestimate their determination. They are good climbers and jump from place to place to reach something they want. They can also reach up further than you might think.

How to protect cables

If you can't find a way of hiding your power cords out of reach there are ways of protecting them.

You can hide the cables inside plastic piping. This is often called split-length tubing as it's split along its length so you can slip the cord inside without taking the plug off. We recommend you use a tough plumbing pipe, the type that you find in home improvement stores.

We don't advise double-sided sticky tape or rubbing soap, perfume, chilly oil, or even bitter spray on electrical cables to stop them from being chewed.

Bunnies use their teeth to adapt to their environment. They are prepared to put up with a bad taste if they want to chew something in the way. You are better off being safe than sorry so don't rely on this.

Halloween decorations and ornaments

It's best to set your decorations and ornaments out of reach

Halloween decorations and ornaments can be hazardous to bunnies, Always place them out of reach. Saying No! is not enough, once their curiosity is piqued, bunnies will likely return regardless!

Decorative ornaments are often made of synthetic materials. If your bunny eats this it can cause gastrointestinal problems, which may require veterinary treatment.

Remember, even though something may look natural, it still may not be safe for your bunny to eat. Wicker and wooden ornaments can be treated with fire-retardant sprays and pesticides, which can make your bunny sick.

It's best to avoid motion-triggered toys with speakers in areas where your bunny can roam freely. These toys can startle your bunny, causing stress and making them afraid to enter a room.

Candles

Be mindful of ornaments that candles go inside as these can get very hot.

Keep candles out of reach to avoid your bunny singeing their whiskers or worse. Only place candles on sturdy surfaces, bunnies crash around and can unwittingly knock them over.

Also, avoid placing candles on a surface with a tablecloth that can be tugged on. This could result in the candle toppling over or your bunny pulling it over itself.

We recommend removing ornaments that candles go inside, as these can also get very hot to the touch.

Halloween decorations and ornaments

Bunny safety rules for guests at Halloween

If you have guests especially children, it may be best to keep your bunny out of sight.

Guests who may not be used to bunnies often don't know how to approach them. They will often want to pick them up, which in most cases can cause stress.

Clumsy handling can make bunnies timid and skittish, causing them to bite and scratch. Bunnies have fragile backs and can be injured if handled poorly or dropped.

If you have guests, especially children, visiting for Halloween keep your bunny out of sight to avoid them becoming the unwanted center of attention.

If you do want to introduce your bunny to guests, especially children, make sure to go through some simple rules at the start.

Trick or treaters

Unfortunately, your bunny may be at risk of being involved in a trick-or-treat prank. If you keep your bunny in your yard, consider hiding their hutch so it is not visible over a fence or from a path.

Make sure to lock any gates to your yard that could give kids access. It might be best to move your bunny inside to be on the safe side.

Remember, bunnies are expert escape artists and your front doors will be left open frequently during this time of year when you will be distracted.

To prevent your bunny from running away, it's best to keep them from areas near the door where they can escape.

A simple way to manage access is to use a pet gate. This will give you easy access through a door or hallway that leads to your front door. They swing shut so ensure your bunny stays safely on the other side.

Chocolate and sweets

Bunnies should not eat chocolate or anything with chocolate in it. It can be quite serious for some bunnies if they eat even a small amount of chocolate. If you think this has happened, we recommend you contact a vet for advice.

Always ensure chocolate treats are out of reach. Don't put them on surfaces where your bunny can find a way to jump up, or on tables that can be knocked over.

Tables, where clothes hang over, are also unsafe, as bunnies have a habit of tugging at things and may pull them over themselves.

It is important to keep chocolate out of reach from your bunny.

Sugary sweets are also not good for bunnies to eat. Ensure these are not left on coffee tables. It's easy to leave food on your couch when you get up so remember to put this away when unattended.

Salty snacks can also be bad for bunnies, and grapes and raisins. Stick to treats made for bunnies so you know they are safe.

Can I give my bunny pumpkin to eat?

Hubble bubble bunny trouble

With all the fun to be had this time of year, scooping out pumpkins to turn them into lanterns, it seems an obvious question. Can my bunny eat some of the pumpkin?

The good news is yes, they can eat raw pumpkin flesh, however, it is important not to give them too much. Bunnies find it hard to digest sugary foods, so limit the amount.

Include this in the regular quantity of sweet foods such as carrots or fruit you give your bunny. As a guide, this should be no more than a teaspoon per 2 lbs. of body weight a day.

Bunnies can not only eat the flesh of pumpkins, they can eat the leaves as well! It's not recommended to feed them the seeds, guts, or skin, as these are hard to digest.

Never feed your cooked pumpkin to your bunny or sugary sweets made with pumpkin. As a rule, only give your bunny the pumpkin you wouldn't want to eat yourself.

Cheap pumpkins sold for making Halloween lamps may be treated with wax and other pesticides, so it's best to avoid these.

Don’t be tempted to give your rabbit the pumpkin to eat after it has been carved and has had a candle inside. It needs to be fresh and not tainted by smoke or wax.

Make sure your bunny has a safe space for Halloween

Bunnies are sensitive creatures and can become stressed very easily. Signs of stress can include hiding under furniture without wanting to come out, stamping their feet, and grumpy or even aggressive behavior.

To avoid this, it's best to prepare for Halloween the best you can by making your bunny a Halloween hideaway.

If they live in a corridor, kitchen, or living room, move them out of there for the night to a quiet stop in your house.

Make sure they have a shelter that they can hide away in. A large cardboard box is ideal for this. Give this to your bunny a few days before Halloween so they can get used to it.

It will offer them shelter, and if you fill it with treats and chew toys, it will help distraction them from everything else that's happening.

After the Halloween fun has finished they may take some time to feel safe again. Don't try to encourage them to come out, they will come out when they feel happy again.

There are also plug-in calming diffusers that can help reduce stress. They contain pheromones similar to those produced by a nursing mother and can give a reassuring message to let rabbits know they are safe.

We also suggest you avoid fireworks. Bunnies have sensitive hearing and the loud noises can scare them. If fireworks are going on around your home, keep the window and the curtains drawn.

Halloween costumes for bunnies

While pets dressed in costumes on social media look adorable, not all bunnies like dressing up.

If your bunny shows signs of stress when you try to dress them up, we suggest you abandon doing this. Restraining them can be frightening and they may bite and scratch you in the panic. They could also hurt themselves by resisting your efforts.

Animal costumes can also restrict their movement and they can struggle wearing them. If they seem unhappy remove them from their costumes, as they could hurt themselves trying to break free from them.

Also, make sure they are bunny-safe. Many cat and dog costumes contain synthetic materials that your bunny may chew, which could be harmful if digested.

Overall, we recommend you don't get your bunny a Halloween costume. If you want a nice photo for Halloween, why not place them on a nice backdrop instead?