if hes hiding lift up the hide slowly so u dont scare him. touch ur rub so he knows u arent a threat. he'll move a lil bit but dont worry about that. grab him so u can support most of the weight, but work ur fingers under him before lifting up. once he is in ur hands let him get used to ur scent. if u sit n he is on ur lap then put one hand under his head and one hand over and try to make it dark. it will feel secure and smell like u. i did that n i have never been bitten or struck at. also, if u do get bit it wont hurt from what i have seen n heard and do not pull away.