Kittens :)

uhm no, any age is not ok. Kittens learn important lessons from their mothers while they are young. They also feel extremely anxious without their mothers if you take them away too soon. Vets recommend about 12 weeks. I know it seems like a long time to wait, but you really are doing what is best for the kitten. As for attachment, I got my cat at 6 months, the cat is plenty attached (to the annoyance of my other family members). As long as you are the one taking care of it, the cat will attach. Have some patience. The cat will be yours forever in a few weeks

kittens adopted eariler than 12 weeks CAN have these problems (note that this does not always happen, but then again I wouldnt risk it)

Litter Box Problems

Litter box training usually occurs between 6 and 12 weeks, and this is also a gradual process. A kitten taken too early will either not be litter trained or may have inconsistent litter box habits. This, combined with the stress of losing its family too early, can cause a kitten to develop lifelong bad habits, such as avoiding the litter box completely or using it inconsistently.

Neurotic Behaviour

While many people seek younger kittens because they mistakenly believe that an older kitten won’t bond with them properly, the reality is that older kittens have no problems bonding with new humans. A younger kitten may bond with a person as well, but it is often a neurotic bond in which the kitten is terrified of being left alone and needs to have its surrogate mother in sight at all times. Kittens adopted too young are more likely to suck on fabric, people’s earlobes, or their own fur, and they tend to run and hide when they see unknown people.

Poor Socialization

Kittens are socialized between 4 and 14 weeks of age, and it is during this critical period that they learn which behaviours are appropriate. Kittens taken too early are more likely to be hostile and aggressive toward people and other pets. They often get along poorly with other cats because they have never learned to interpret feline body language, having missed out on the longer socialization process that they should have had with their families. Overall, they are more insecure and less tolerant.

Poor Immunity

A kitten’s immune system develops between 8 and 12 weeks, and a kitten less than 12 weeks old has not received its full set of required vaccinations. A mother cat’s milk provides antibodies that protect the health of her kittens. If they are prevented from nursing before their own immune systems have become strong, kittens are more likely to succumb to a wide variety of illnesses, particularly respiratory conditions.

Rushed Weaning

Kittens shouldn’t be weaned suddenly. Rather, weaning should be a gradual process in which they alternate between nursing and eating cat food, slowly increasing the amount of cat food consumed and decreasing nursing time until nursing ceases altogether. At 6-8 weeks of age, kittens are not ready to stop nursing. Usually, a mother cat will begin denying opportunities to nurse between 8 and 12 weeks of age, and thus the kitten learns to deal with frustration in a natural way. Kittens that are taken from their mothers too soon miss out on this natural process, and are more inclined to develop behavioural problems as a result of low frustration tolerance later on.

Kittens taken before 12 weeks of age are also more inclined to suffer from diarrhea as a result of sudden weaning and a too-rapid shift to solid food. This condition can be life threatening, as kittens will quickly become dehydrated and lose weight rapidly. Even if they don’t develop severe diarrhea, kittens taken too early often become malnourished and fail to put on weight.

Read more: http://cats.suite101.com/article.cfm/ideal_age_to_adopt_a_kitten#ixzz0Vd4YbUUa