I have a panther that is the same way.. Only that all he will take is supers :( I drove 2 hour to a reptile show so I could pick up a variety of feeders to try, silks, butter worms, roaches, Phoenix worms and a few horn worms.
He flares up and gapes at the sight of any of them :( I've offered...
My guy used to get defensive around that age. Like yours he would eat from my hand but wanted nothing to do with climbing on it haha
Around the end of 4 months I think he took his first steps "willingly" on to my hand. Now at 8 months I can't open the cage without seeing those little taco...
My Roman is a panther. He is always willing to run out as soon as the cage opens but I am merely a bridge lol once and a while he will go to my shoulder and just hang out, but mostly he goes up one arm and down the other looking for a way off.. He has no issue hand feeding and never really has...
I believe he would do fine in the new enclosure. My guy used to free range the living room in my apartment lol I would leave a small tote with feeders in it near the hanging plants and he often drank from my ex's waterfall thing she had setup! Even watched him swim in it at least 10 different times.
Fired up ;)
I'm interested to see the rest of these franklin jr kids fired up :) so if to got a chance to snap a pic while there all puffed up lets see! Here's roman threatening the vet ;)