When can a baby cat leave its mother?

Many, if not all, cat breeders strongly advise that you should not take a kitten away from its litter until 10-12 weeks of age. The reason for this is this allows the kittens to learn how to behave around other kittens and people. Playing with their litter-mates and mother teaches the kittens what is and is not acceptable. Taking a kitten away at this crucial stage of development can cause behaviour issues later on in its life as it will not have been taught otherwise.