At what age does a cat leave her kittens?

Typically, a mother (queen) cat will wean her kittens between the ages of 6 to 8 weeks, at this time they will begin the process of becoming less dependent on their mother for food and care. However, kittens usually stay with their mothers until they are about 12 to 16 weeks old. During this time, the mother cat will teach them essential life skills, such as hunting, self-grooming, and socialization. After 16 weeks, kittens are considered independent and can be adopted out to new homes.