30/10/2026
👻 Halloween: The Hidden Dangers of Decorations for Our Pets and Wildlife
Halloween is a fun time to decorate our homes and gardens, but some of our favourite spooky decorations can pose unexpected dangers to the animals we share our world with. From curious cats and playful dogs to birds, possums and other native wildlife, a little extra care can help keep everyone safe this Halloween.
🐾 Dangers for our pets
🕸 🕷 Fake spider webs and hanging decorations 🕸 🕷
Cats may become tangled in artificial cobwebs, while dogs can chew or swallow strands. If ingested, these materials may cause choking or dangerous intestinal blockages. Loose threads and fibres can also trap small animals.
🕯💡Candles and electrical lights 🕯💡
Wagging tails, curious noses and playful paws can knock over candles, causing burns or fires. Chewed electrical cords and damaged battery compartments can cause electric shocks, burns or serious injuries. Use secure, battery-operated lights instead.
🎃 Small plastic decorations and glow sticks 🎃
Plastic spiders, eyeballs, beads, fake teeth and other small objects can be swallowed, creating a choking hazard or intestinal blockage. Chewed glow sticks may cause mouth irritation, drooling and distress.
🍭Sweets and treats 🍭
Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats, and products containing xylitol can be particularly dangerous to dogs. Lolly wrappers and sweet packaging may also cause blockages. Keep all treats well out of reach.
🕸 🕷 Fake spider webs — a real wildlife hazard 🕸 🕷
Artificial spider webs are among the most concerning Halloween decorations for Australian wildlife. Birds can become entangled in fine synthetic fibres, potentially suffering injuries, restricted movement or death. Bats and small mammals may also become trapped. Australia's spring nesting season makes this an especially important concern.
🎍Decorations in trees and gardens
Hanging strings, ribbons, fishing line, balloons and loose netting can trap animals or be mistaken for nesting materials. Decorations placed in shrubs and trees can interfere with the places where birds, possums and other wildlife feed, nest and shelter.
🔆🔊 Bright lights and loud noises 🔆🔊
Flashing lights, illuminated displays and noisy celebrations can disturb nocturnal wildlife, which relies on darkness to forage, move around and carry out normal activities. Keep outdoor lighting modest, use warm-coloured lights and switch them off overnight.
🗑 Discarded sweets, wrappers and plastic
Chocolate, lollies and food scraps can harm animals that discover them, while wrappers and small plastic decorations may be swallowed or cause choking. Wind can carry lightweight decorations into bushland, waterways and other wildlife habitats.
🎃 How to have a wildlife-friendly Halloween
✅ Avoid artificial spider webs outdoors. Keep them indoors, away from animals, or choose solid decorations instead.
✅ Choose safer decorations. Try cardboard bats, paper pumpkins, reusable signs, carved pumpkins and decorations made from sturdy natural materials.
✅ Protect pets indoors. Give them a quiet, secure room away from visitors, open doors and unfamiliar decorations.
✅ Use battery-operated candles. Avoid open flames, secure electrical cords and keep small decorations out of reach.
✅ Clean up after the celebrations. Collect every wrapper, loose fibre and decoration, remove outdoor displays promptly and dispose of waste responsibly.
❤️ A final thought
Halloween should be frightening for fun — not frightening or dangerous for the animals who share our homes, gardens and neighbourhoods.
Our pets depend on us to keep them safe, and our native wildlife depends on a healthy environment to survive. One simple choice, such as leaving fake spider webs off the garden fence, can help reduce unnecessary risks.
This Halloween, let's make our decorations spooky for people, safe for pets and harmless to wildlife.
Because the scariest thing about Halloween should be the decorations — not what they can do to our animals.
