The carpets that I have are very enthusiastic feeders and curious and active when out of their cages but I wouldn't say any of them are 'aggressive', they're definately a lot more active than ball pythons. You do want to be wary around those teeth at feeding time though. A 3 X 2 or a 4 X 2 cage will be fine for life but you'll probably want to go higher so you can put in a climbing branch (say 18" high or so)
For tips on handling, I'd say that a lot of people hold their snakes too tightly in an effort to control their actions, snakes HATE that. Don't think of it as holding your snake, it's more like letting them hold you. Hold them very loosely and let them move. Guide their movement rather then restrict it. I like to think of my hands as a snake treadmill.
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