Our New Cat has Feline Leukemia

[cumberlandreds]

Last Saturday me and wife got a new cat from the local animal shelter. Its a pure bred Bengal Cat. Our last cat died on Halloween of last year due to complications from kidney renal failure and diabetes. He was 18 1/2 years old. We had him since we were newlyweds. So he was like our child.

Back to the new cat. When you get an animal from the shelter you get a free exam from a participating vet. So last night we took her and they did a feline leukemia check as part of it. The phone was ringing as soon as we got in the door coming back. It was the vet with the bad news. By looking at our cat you would never thing anything is wrong with her. Very playful,especially for about a 9 year old cat, and very loving. She jumps into your lap everytime you sit down. Never had cat that liked their belly rubbed like she does.
There doesn't seem to be a lot you can do except for giving them supplements to try keep the immune system up to full strength as possible.
Just wondering if anyone in the Redszone world has ever had to deal with this? How long do they normally live? The vet said about 3 or 4 years. Do they go downhill rapidly once the disease kicks in? Or really anything you know at all would be appreciated. We aren't going to give her up or back to the shelter. She is so sweet we could never do that. I suspect this disease was the reason she was given to animal control. The previous owner just didn't want to deal with it.