Looking for Advice for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

One of my relatives has a female cat (I think she's getting up there in age) that's had a couple urinary tract infections.  The litter box is kept very clean.  I think the food she's eating is a wet food meant to help cats with thyroid problems.

I was thinking about seeing if I could get them one of those fountain type water bowls if that might help?  Would that be a good idea in this situation?  She's never had one before so I don't know if she'll like it or not.  Would it be best to try to order one online or would I be able to find one that's adequate at a pet shop?

Is there any other advice on things that  might help that I could pass on to them?

the pet store definitely sells some good water fountains, plus if you don't like it you can return it. They do make prescription diets to help with UTI's. Another thing is cranberry extract. I know you can buy a supplement & add to water or food, I don't have any experience with that but just wait, someone will comment that knows more.

Certainly the water fountain isn't going to hurt, you might want to think about getting one whatever you decide to do.

As my female began to age, suddenly she came down with a couple of UTIs, but she also had kidney disease.  I think those two were related.  The Vet said there really wasn't anything we could do about it...just watch for symptoms and when they came on, get her on antibiotics.  So...

Now, if she has FLUTD, that's another story.  Here's an article on that:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-flutd  With that, stress can be a HUGE factor.    And to reduce stress, here is another article:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/six-surefire-strategies-to-reduce-stress-in-cats

The owners can also add some water to the cat's wet food. This will help keep the urinary tract clear. Some cats don't like the added water, but my two lap it up with no problem. We had struvite crystals, which the water helps. If it's kidney failure, it won't help.

Just this evening, it was announced on the evening news that cranberry juice has been tested and did not help with urinary tract infections. Millions of women would disagree with that - maybe it's the additional water in the juice that clears up cystitis. So add water to the food.