[Twocents]

There are so many great suggestions in this thread.

More ideas about preventing and fighting feline stress, pain, arthritis & inflammation which can contribute to inappropriate urination:

Omega-3s Are Essential for Your Cat, by Jean Hofve, DVM,
Dec. 2, 2010, http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/o...-for-your-cat/

Omega-3 Update: more info, more choices,
May 10, 2011, http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutritio...-more-choices/

Antioxidants,
Jan. 22, 2011, http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/antioxidants/

"In people, a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables may contain adequate natural antioxidants. Pets eating commercial food, however, do not get enough appropriate antioxidants in the diet."

"**Warning** The popular antioxidant for people, alpha-lipoic acid, is fine for dogs, but relatively toxic to cats. Avoid it, or at least limit it to no more than 15 mg per day."

Arthritis in Cats,
Nov. 17, 2010, http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/arthritis-in-cats/


Geriatric Cats, Common health concerns,
by Jean Hofve, DVM,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/geriatric-cats/


Obesity contributes to painful joints & other health problems.

See:
Feline Obesity: An Epidemic of Fat Cats,
by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM from Catinfo.org,
Last updated June, 2010, http://catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity

The Right Weight Loss Program for Cats!,
by Jean Hofve, DVM
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/t...gram-for-cats/

Cystitis: Stress can cause cystitis. Cystitis is painful. Pain is very stressful. See the vicious cycle?

"Cystitis can be a very painful condition! Cystitis, also known as Interstitial Cystitis, refers to inflammation of the bladder wall leading to painful, frequent voiding of small amounts of urine.

The patient will often start to associate the litter box with his/her pain. This can lead to litter box aversion which causes the patient to urinate elsewhere. In these cases, there may be fewer urine balls in the litter box than usual.

Important: These cats need pain medication such as buprenorphine (Buprinex).

What causes cystitis? I wish that the veterinary community knew the answer to that question in all cases.

What we do know is that cystitis often appears to be linked to stress and the highly concentrated urine that results from being fed a water-depleted (dry food) diet may also be a significant factor in some cats. The concentration of urine is reflected by the urine specific gravity (USG) number found on the urinalysis report...

It's frustrating to see these poor cats leaving the veterinary clinic with no pain medication!

To repeat: We know that stress plays an important role in the cause of cystitis. Can you think of anything more stressful than pain?

See the vicious cycle? Stress can cause cystitis. Cystitis is painful. Pain is very stressful."

...Treatments for sterile cystitis include:

• pain medication
  
  
• increasing water consumption with a canned food diet, etc.
  
  
• decrease the patient's stress - not always easy since cats can be very 'silent' in their stress and we may not always be aware of what is bothering them
  
  
• glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate products such as injectable Adequan, or oral products such as Cosequin, Dasequin, or Trixsyn may help
  

Tricks used to increase water consumption: (see article by Dr. Lisa Pierson)

See Feline Urinary Tract Health:
Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection,
by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, from Catinfo.org,
http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth



Note: Water Fountain Study showed that they did not help cats consume more water.
Source: Winn Feline Foundation Blog,
Sept. 23, 2010, http://winnfelinehealth.blogspot.com...-for-cats.html

Slippery Elm:

"In the case of cystitis (bladder inflammation), Slippery Elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining. However, it is somewhat high in magnesium, so may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk. (In cats, urinary tract infections are very rarely bacterial.) Slippery Elm bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains the same compound found in the drug “Elmiron®,”the major pain-relieving treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. Pentosan has been used by the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory for more than 40 years. (Anti-coagulant effects are not seen with normal oral administration.) Since bladder disease in cats is very similar to that in women, slippery elm may be especially beneficial for our feline friends. Small, frequent dosages of pentosan has been shown in humans to be more effective than single large doses."

See Slippery Elm,
By Jean Hofve, DVM
Nov. 18, 2010, http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/


Why Did My Cat Pee Outside the Litterbox?
By Jean Hofve, DVM,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/w...the-litterbox/


Spraying and Territorial Stress,
By Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviourist,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/behavior...torial-stress/


Do-It -Yourself Bach Flower Essences,
By Jean Hofve, DVM,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/d...ower-essences/


Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for Pets,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/a...oils-for-pets/


Catnip. Fresh, home-grown catnip can have a calming effect when eaten. Sometimes dried catnip is more potent and can cause problems.
By Jackson Galaxy,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/fun-stuff/catnip/


Cat-to-Cat Introductions,
By Jackson Galaxy,
http://www.littlebigcat.com/behavior...introductions/
If you go too fast, you will jeopardize the whole process. If it doesn't go well, you might have to start over.

Photo: "Opie's case is a very good illustration of the fact that proper nutrition (NO dry food) is a 'pay me now or pay me later' issue." ~ Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth