Kalanchoe
Also known as Chandelier Plant, Devil's Backbone, Mother of Millions. One plant, one grade per pet — the verdicts below are transcribed from primary sources and human-reviewed.
Kalanchoe is toxic to cats (S3 Toxic): its bufadienolides are heart toxins; eating it most often causes vomiting and diarrhea, the ASPCA lists abnormal heart rhythm (rare), and Pet Poison Helpline warns that if a large enough amount is ingested, changes in heart rate and rhythm, weakness, and collapse are possible.
FULL VERDICT →Kalanchoe is toxic to dogs (S3 Toxic): its bufadienolides are heart toxins; eating it most often causes vomiting and diarrhea, the ASPCA lists abnormal heart rhythm (rare), and Pet Poison Helpline warns that if a large enough amount is ingested, changes in heart rate and rhythm, weakness, and collapse are possible.
FULL VERDICT →Care at a glance
What happens if it's eaten
Signs on record for each animal, transcribed from the cited sources.
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- abnormal heart rhythm (rare)
- changes in heart rate and rhythm (if a large enough amount is ingested)
- weakness (if a large enough amount is ingested)
- collapse (if a large enough amount is ingested)
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- abnormal heart rhythm (rare)
- changes in heart rate and rhythm (if a large enough amount is ingested)
- weakness (if a large enough amount is ingested)
- collapse (if a large enough amount is ingested)
When to call the vet
Call your vet promptly after any ingestion; go immediately if a large amount was eaten, or if your cat has an irregular heartbeat, seems weak, or collapses.
FULL VERDICT →Call your vet promptly after any ingestion; go immediately if a large amount was eaten, or if your dog has an irregular heartbeat, seems weak, or collapses.
FULL VERDICT →Safe swaps, graded S0
Non-toxic on record for cats — verified against the index at build time.
FAQ
Is kalanchoe the same as mother-in-law's tongue, panda plant, or mother of thousands?
Those names cross over between plants, so check the scientific name on the tag. The ASPCA lists "Mother-In-Law Plant" as a name for Kalanchoe tubiflora — but "mother-in-law's tongue" is a name of the snake plant, a different plant graded S1 Caution. The ASPCA's "Panda Plant" entry is not a kalanchoe at all: it is filed under Philodendron bipennifolium. And Pet Poison Helpline lists "Mother of Thousands" among kalanchoe's names, while the ASPCA uses the same name for the piggy back plant, a different plant we have not graded. If the tag says Kalanchoe, this page applies; if it says something else, it does not.