Possible Clues:

• What cats are said to be gifted with
• What 9 across is said to have
• Cat's blessing, so they say
• Number of existences attributed to a cat
• 954 E's for cats
• Tom has these lines tangled with vine
• What 18 down is said to have before it's too late
• What 1 down may have for a living
• Morris's gift
• What 9 across, for instance, is alleged to have for lives