Foster stress - AIBU?

[stressystressy]

We have been caring for our latest foster for a while (all our previous cats have been healthy and happy, and gone on to new homes fairly quickly.

The one we have right now is 16 years old, and very, very underweight. She is medicated daily with tablets. She was recently taken to the vet where it was discovered that she had many other things wrong with her. All of which could be treated, but it would be expensive and to be honest quite rough in the poor thing. I honestly thought that given that her chances of finding a new home were nil, the charity would decide that the kindest thing to do would be to put her to sleep, and concentrate funds on all the other healthy cats needing help.

We have now found out that the lady running this charity does not believe in putting animals down for any reason if they can be treated (which is absolutely fine) but now expects us to nurse this cat intensely for the rest of its days, and will sort out the dental issues "one day". I am not comfortable doing this and feel it is neglectful (if it were my own cat I would PTS).

AIBU to ask her to take the cat back if she wants this level of nursing done?

i would tell her that you signed for one thing and are now expected to do more than you can handle,
what she needs to do is look for a permanent foster, which given her health and age probably wont be that long,
when our rescue has a cat like this in we ask for this type of foster from the start with the fosterer knowing thier level of commitment,

and the rescue pays for all costs, and also when we have an elderly healthy cat come in we offer adopters vet bills paid for related to elderly cat conditions, as our rescue wont put down if can be treated,

Thanks for your response issey. I don't think my partner or I would have minded having her for the long term, but neither of us want or feel able to give her subcutaneous fluids every other day (for the rest of her life) plus other intensive care. I guess it's more management than treatment. We feel we're teetering very close to watching her suffer (which is something neither of us want for her, of course).