Is Kalanchoe safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Toxic |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Moderate
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
Kalanchoe has become one of the more familiar flowering houseplants in American homes. VCA Animal Hospitals notes that kalanchoes "are increasing in popularity and becoming a common household plant due to their brightly colored flowers" — the same clusters of small red, yellow, pink, orange, or white blooms that make it a fixture on garden center shelves.
That same easy-to-propagate habit has let some kalanchoe species get loose outdoors in Florida. UF/IFAS Extension in Flagler County documents Kalanchoe x houghtonii, known as "mother of millions," as a Category II invasive species under the Florida Invasive Species Council, spreading across coastal sand dunes from the tiny plantlets that form along its leaf edges. Because the plant "does not help stabilize" dunes and can "prevent helpful, native dune plants from growing," it displaces the vegetation that normally holds Florida's beaches together — and the same UF/IFAS post adds that it is "toxic to animals, meaning they do not provide a useful food source," echoing the same cardiac-glycoside concern that applies to the kalanchoe sold as a houseplant.
ASPCA lists kalanchoe as toxic to both dogs and cats, with bufadienolides (a type of cardiac glycoside) as the toxic principle. Documented signs are vomiting, diarrhea, and — less commonly — an abnormal heart rhythm, since these compounds can interfere with the heart's electrical activity in a large enough dose. If a cat or dog has chewed on kalanchoe and is vomiting, unusually weak, or showing any change in heart rate or breathing, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661, or get to a veterinarian right away.
Facts and examples
- VCA Animal Hospitals states kalanchoes "are increasing in popularity and becoming a common household plant due to their brightly colored flowers." (source, verified 2026-07-31)
- UF/IFAS Extension (Flagler County) documents Kalanchoe x houghtonii ("mother of millions") as a Category II invasive species under the Florida Invasive Species Council that spreads across Florida's coastal sand dunes, does not stabilize the dunes, crowds out native dune plants, and is "toxic to animals, meaning they do not provide a useful food source." (source, verified 2026-07-31)
Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 2026-07-31 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-31