Welcome to carpets! I've been keeping them for 20 years and currently have 20 in the collection. They'll use perches, but it is not a necessity, I don't use them. They will go to the highest point they can, a perch or just sit on top of the hide, and look down. This is the carpet python version of hunting.
Babies of pretty much any subspecies tend to be quite bitey for the first year or so. All that I have kept have calmed down eventually, but rarely to levels of ball python calmness. I approach most of mine as if today is the day they are going to whack you just for fun! Most of them take an occasional shot, it may only be 2% of the time, but you just don't know if today is the day.
They are aggressive feeders, and as a previous poster suggested get them on rats ASAP. If you've got a yearling refusing rats, you've got a snake that will never eat rats. The good news is that they'll eat anything else. They love chicken and quail. Also rabbit and guinea pig.
i've found keeping carpets to be very rewarding and I'm sure you will too.
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