She complained about the cat having bad habits of scratching, meowing, and acting wild and being hard to handle (if I remember correctly). I would first get the cat to the vet to see if there were any medical conditions causing the cat pain or irritation that might cause meowing or wild behavior.
As far as scratching .... cats CAN be trained, as those of us that have trained cats know. It just takes being consistent with the praise and the "don't you DARE" face.
I, too, am allergic, but I take allergy meds, not just because of critters, I am also allergic to other things like pollen and mold..... maybe her kid is allergic to some other things in the air also like I am? :shrug: