I used to try that with my reticulated python when she was younger. The problem is that she would often switch from handling mode to feeding mode when sitting on the couch! I actually stopped handling her as much because of it. Ball pythons are typically not like that, they tend to not go into feeding mode even when handling them for extended periods of time. It's a double edged sword, it's sometimes difficult to get them to eat because of it but it's great when you want to handle them a lot.