How to stop a cat from biting

[Sundown]

My kitten is almost 5 months old and has a tendency to bite. If one of us has our legs exposed he will try to bite our ankles. I have a recliner that i usually sit in. If he sees me reaching for the lever to open the recliner he will run up and try to bite my hand. If I move my hand out of the way in time he will jump on me and try to bite my hand. When he is wide awake he does not want to be petted. He will try to bite the hand of whoever is petting him. (This is starting to get better though.) However when he is sleepy, he will allow us to pet his head, cheeks, under the chin, back and even tolerate tummy rubs.
We have tried a loud clap with a firm "no" and also walking away and ignoring him, but these aren't working. I thought maybe he didn't like me, but he will curl up in my lap to sleep. Any advice?

Btw, he was about 10 weeks old when we got him. We adopted him from a shelter and he was in foster car before that.

[andtiggertoo]

Do you play with him? Sounds to me like he's just trying to get you to play!

[lilynmitz]

I agree, I suspect he's bored and needs much more play stimulation and interaction with you. When playing with him, keep your hands out of the way, using toys such as laser pens, Da Bird, ping pong balls, feathers on sticks, rolled up paper etc, and only pet him when he's calmer, SSS you have been doing. As a 5 month old kitty he still has masses of play energy and lots of growing up to do, so don't expect him to be a quiet polite puss just yet!

[Sundown]

We play with hime several times a day. He has a wide assortment of toys and various household objects that he seems to prefer over toys. I guess I'm just not used to having a kitten. The last time I had a cat was back in the 1980's. He came to us as an adult cat and was already pretty mello despite being abandoned by his previous family.

[lilynmitz]

Kittens are a whole world of joyful chaos! I think you need to cut him some slack, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!