what plant is this? dying help!!

How can I get it back healthy it has lost over two thirds of its leaves. My cats used it for litter box I also noticed roots are not covered could this be the problem? can I just cover the roots with the dirt without repotting?

It's a fig species - can't remember what kind. They tend to have air roots. Is it new? Could be nursery symptoms - they're literally pampered in nurseries and produce lots of green leaves with lots of sun and good watering then the minute they end up in a home they lose a lot of leaves.

My first thought from the shape of the leaves was possibly "Balfour Aralia",Polyscias: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Balfour+Aralia&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=fvNBTaqlFcH78Aaa86jcAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CC0QsAQwAA&biw=1280&bih=726

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55551/

But, I can't see the photo clearly enough to tell for sure what plant it actually is.

Ficus lyrata. They're kind of tempermental when you get them home, as Malus pointed out and seeing roots is normal.

Cat waste is not good for it. I would water it thoroughly outside to wash out anything in there and put the soil back loosely.

Ciao Alessia....Your plant is a Ficus Lyrata...Fiddle-leaf fig...a member of a large family that includes fruiting figs , the huge Banyan trees in the tropics, and the many house plants in the group. It usually drops it's leaves in response to moving, drafts or change in temperatures,
low light after being out in the brighter light...and of course, animal urine.....it still looks healthy.....take it outside if you can, wash the plant to
remove dust, being sure to water enough to leach out the acid of the urine...then add good potting soil, and some netting to keep out the cat...put it back in the house, water only when it feels dry but not wilted, and feed lightly once a month with a very dilute liquid fertilizer...the more light, the better...these things are tough....you can prune to shape in the Spring when it starts growing actively....I've seen them growing in an office situation, totally neglected, and very happy.....keep the cats out!!! Good luck!

You all have better eyesight than I do. I grow Ficus lyrata and didn't even recognize it from alessia's photo.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55346/

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=ficus+lyrata&cp=7&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=YPRCTfu5K4KC8gbe5Ky0AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QsAQwAA&biw=1280&bih=726

Hi plantladylin....we had these ficus in Hawaii...the fiddle-leaf were popular as house plants...they get dusty and so need a good bath
every now and then...I used whole milk to wipe the leaves down, occasionally, to give them a good shine...they seemed to like the
fat and calcium...but the house smelled like baby barf for a short while...but don't set the plant down outside and forget it, as I did...it rooted
under another tree and took off...I had to finally chop it down, it was so agressive...most ficus are...there's a "banyan", a type of ficus, in Honolulu by the Iolani Palace, that covers almost an acre...you can walk under the tree, and see the arial roots hanging...it's really
spectacular....planted over 100 years ago. So they are tough cookies.....

Cat urine couldn't be acidic enough to negatively affect a plant from a pH perspective, but it is very high insoluble salts and urea, which is very high in N. What you're seeing in your fig tree is technically called plasmolysis, because the high soluble salt levels 'pulls' water from plant cells in the same way that curing salt pulls the moisture from bacon and ham. When the cell dehydrates, it pulls plasmalemma from the cell walls, thus the term plasmolysis, which we commonly call fertilizer burn.

I agree that the soil should be flushed thoroughly and repeatedly with room temperature water to rid it of the excess salts. This practice, done on a regular basis, particularly in the winter, is a very good idea if you're using soils that won't allow you to water copiously (so the soil is flushed of accumulating salts each time you water) w/o risking root rot.

If you think your soil will remain soggy for too long after a thorough flushing, just ask, and I'll help you with tips on how to dodge that bullet.

More help with how to tend Ficus trees in containers:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1136338/?hl=ficus+containers

Al

do it a favour, knock it out of the pot, shake as much soil off the roots as possible, re-pot the plant into new shop bought compost and add some indoor plant food to the compost , then pop the whole plant into the shower so that you are removing all thew dust and spray from cat wee that has landed on the roots / stems, make sure you spray the underside of the leaves too so that any tiny insects are washed off. Next re-pot the plant and make sure you don't fill the soil any higher than it was in the pot before you re-potted it or it will rot the plant,
when you've done that, add several large pebbles to decorate the top of the soil / pot, this will help reduce moisture loss, will stop cat from using the new soil as a toilet and when you water the plant, it stops soil being splashed about when you water, you have to try think like a plant, would you like the cat peeing all over your feet, stuck indoors where there is a heating system that dries all your foliage and am never fed or watered regularly, the way to combat dry heating is to mist the foliage regularly under the leaves also, this helps to remove dust and any little bugs don't like this treatment but the plant will, always make sure you stick your finger into the soil to see if it needs watering, over watering in a dry room is a killer for plants as they cant breath and get rid of excess moisture. hope this helps, OH if you have a cat that is indoors all the time, then get it a litter box as it is more hygienic and healthier also, good luck and show us a picture of all the new growth this plant will grow within weeks of being re-potted, washed and pampered. Good luck. WeeNel.

I would be extremely reluctant to suggest a full repot (as opposed to potting up) of a failing plant in mid-winter, when there are options far less traumatic. It's very likely the plant would not tolerate the additional stress. Tropical and subtropical Ficus are best repotted in the month prior to their most robust growth; so mid-June to early July would be best for Alessia's tree.

Generally speaking, most bagged soils are too water-retentive (even when fresh) to ensure best growth/vitality, so measures (mulching, decorative stones, ...... on the surface) that slow evaporation and extend intervals of excess water retention are certain to be counter-productive, unless the grower waters in small sips, which leaves (the collective) you with a catch-22 situation because watering in sips encourages the high level of soluble salts Alessia needs to correct and avoid.

Al