By Tim Waters · Updated
By Tim Waters · Updated
As an Amazon Associate, Bunnyproof earns from qualifying purchases.
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 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 also offer guidance on Halloween costume safety for bunnies.
So, if you want Halloween to be safe and fun for your bunny, follow these simple step-by-step instructions.
The soft insulation of power cords offers little protection from a bunny's razor-sharp teeth
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.1
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.
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, chili 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.
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, so keep wicker and wooden ornaments out of reach too.
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.
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.
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.9
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.
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.
Bunnies should not eat chocolate or anything with chocolate in it: vets list it among the foods rabbits should never eat.2 If you think your bunny has eaten some, phone your vet straight away rather than waiting to see if they become ill.3
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 with tablecloths hanging over the edge 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: vets warn that sugary treats can lead to obesity and tooth decay.4 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, grapes and raisins are also bad for bunnies. Stick to treats made for bunnies so you know they are safe.
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 a little raw pumpkin flesh as a treat. Pumpkin is high in sugars and starches, so give only a small piece the first time, as new foods can upset a bunny's tummy, and no more than once or twice a week.5
As a guide, vets suggest no more than 1 to 2 tablespoons of fruit per 5 lbs of body weight, once or twice a week, so count pumpkin as part of that.6
Don't give your bunny the seeds: vets advise against feeding rabbits seeds.2 We'd leave out the stringy guts and the tough skin too, and stick to a little raw flesh.
Never feed 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.
Pumpkins sold for carving aren't grown for eating, so give your bunny pumpkin sold as food.
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.
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 spot 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 distract 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.
Keep your bunny's hideaway free of air fresheners and other scented products. The PDSA, a UK veterinary charity, lists air fresheners among the causes of breathing problems in rabbits.7
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 windows closed and the curtains drawn.
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.8
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?
Halloween photo shoots are popular in our Facebook group, and it's easy to see why. If you want to set up a spooky scene, keep it short and stay with your bunny the whole time. Plastic spiders, fake candy, glitter and small plastic pumpkins are easy to chew and swallow, so only use props that are too big to fit in your bunny's mouth, and put everything away as soon as you have your photo.
If you would like your bunny to dress up, a loose hat for a quick photo is much kinder than a full costume. Take it off straight away if they try to shake it off or freeze, and never leave them alone wearing it.
Yes, rabbits can eat a little raw pumpkin flesh as a treat. It's high in sugar, so treat it like fruit: no more than 1 to 2 tablespoons per 5 lbs of body weight, once or twice a week. Don't give them the seeds, guts or skin.
No. Once a pumpkin has been carved and had a candle inside, it can be tainted by smoke and wax. Pumpkins sold for carving aren't grown for eating either, so only give your bunny fresh pumpkin you would eat yourself.
Move them away from the front door to a quiet room, give them a cardboard box hideaway filled with treats a few days before, and draw the curtains if there are fireworks. If they hide afterwards, let them come out in their own time.
We don't recommend it. Many bunnies find being dressed up frightening, costumes can restrict their movement, and cat and dog costumes often contain synthetic materials that are harmful if chewed. Take a photo on a Halloween backdrop instead.
1. PetMD (Laurie Hess, DVM, reviewed by Jennifer Coates, DVM), Electric cord bite injury in rabbits. Says a rabbit that bites a live cord can suffer anything from a mild mouth burn to heart damage, fluid in the lungs and death. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
2. PetMD (Melissa Witherell, DVM), What do rabbits eat?. Lists chocolate, seeds and nuts, and fruit seeds among the foods rabbits should avoid. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
3. PDSA (written by vets and vet nurses), First aid for poisons and toxins. Says to phone a vet straight away and never wait to see if your pet develops symptoms. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
4. Medivet (UK veterinary group), Rabbit nutrition guide. Says sugary and starchy treats can lead to heart issues, obesity and tooth decay. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
5. Petplan, quoting Richard Saunders, veterinary specialist for the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, Halloween rabbits. Says pumpkin can be a treat for rabbits but is high in sugars and starches, the first serving should be just a little, and it should be given no more than once or twice a week. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
6. PetMD (Catherine Gose, CVT, reviewed by Laurie Hess, DVM), Rex rabbit. Says a rabbit can typically have 1 to 2 tablespoons of fruit per 5 pounds of body weight once or twice a week. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
7. PDSA (veterinary charity), Breathing problems in rabbits. Lists air fresheners among the causes of breathing problems in rabbits. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
8. VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM, Laurie Hess, DVM, and Rick Axelson, DVM), Gastrointestinal stasis in rabbits. Advises stopping rabbits chewing rugs, towels or other material that may cause a life-threatening obstruction. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
9. PetMD (Maria Zayas, DVM), How to pick up a rabbit. Says rabbits are prey animals with delicate bones, and that improper handling can easily lead to stress or serious injury. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
Tim founded Bunnyproof and has kept house rabbits for over 20 years. He runs the Bunny proofing Facebook group, where around 50,000 members share what works in their homes.
Our guides share practical experience from rabbit owners. They are not a substitute for veterinary advice.
More about Bunnyproof
