Everyone seems to think that keeping a Sun and a Moon in the same enclosure is “cute”, until they inevitably start getting territorial with each other because THAT’S HOW DCAs BEHAVE. It doesn’t matter if you raise them together and try to bond them when they’re young. They are two different models with very different needs and temperaments. Big Fazbear will show off their cute little pair of DCA models getting along, but behind the scenes, those poor things are suffering. Sun models need a sparse diet and lots of attention from their owners or other models. Moons are solitary and are best kept in their own enclosures with lots of hiding spots. Suns will inevitably try and seek out the Moon to play with them, and the Moon will quickly get overwhelmed and attack out of fear.
And, no, Moons aren’t an “aggressive” breed. You just keep your Moon in a tiny room with no stimulation and expect them to behave. MOONS ARE NOT “LOW MAINTENANCE” MODELS!!! This is a myth! They should not be bought without proper research. Far too often I see Moons kept in a room with nothing but a carousel. This is abuse! Moons need a space at least five hundred square feet to explore. Ideally, you’d buy at least ten queen sized comforters as well as pillows and stuffed animals for its nest. They enjoy climbing and hiding, so it’s best to provide hidey-holes and a loft or a rock wall to play on. Good owners will provide lots of couch cushions and blankets in order for it to create a hide where it feels safest. And for the love of god, do NOT try and turn on the lights and lift up its hides because you “want to see it”. That’s been proven to damage their eyes and moving their hides makes them feel unsafe! If you need to take it to parts and service, train it to respond to a name or command. It’s not difficult! Moons are very intelligent models, and even just basic clicker training and a bag of Moondrops is enough to get them to come when you call.
And that’s another problem entirely! People do not pay attention to their models and will let them fester in their enclosure without giving them important maintenance! Your model’s eyes flickering isn’t a sign of contentment or whatever, it’s a sign that they need to go to a technician and get them replaced! Moon models will sometimes flip on their back and crawl around; it’s a cute little thing they do when in a familiar environment. But they shouldn’t be doing it all the time. If they can’t seem to get unstuck from that position, they need to be carefully examined and evaluated to see if they have hardware issues.
People treat Suns a little bit better, but there’s still so much abuse that goes on with the poor things. They are often left on their own for too long, or not given enough attention when they need it. They are very sensitive to changes in their environment, and if you are upset, they’ll be upset too. They require the same amount of space as a Moon, though up to three Sun models can share the space without conflict. They are much more play focused and don’t need as many hides. Toys are a must with Suns. It’s practically step one. Chalk, bubbles, shakers, chew toys, anything that you would give a child to play with. Avoid cards or other complicated games; they much prefer dolls and trucks. Be careful with anything that could be a hazard; sticky or messy toys like slime only irritate Suns. Think crayons, not paint. It’s not cute or funny to “prank” Suns by dumping glitter in their enclosure or getting them dirty. You’re only making them distressed. An important addition is toy boxes, shelves, and other organizational items that they can use to put their toys away after playtime. Suns are very particular models and will want to put all their favorite belongings in a nice spot. For a sleeping area, it’s a good idea to give them a nice, padded, flat spot for them to lay down. They don’t like too many pillows or blankets. Just a sheeted mattress or a yoga mat will do.
Here’s some behaviors to notice in your models, and what they mean:
For both DCA models, faceplate spinning is a sign of curiosity or confusion. They’ll spin ninty, one eighty, or even a full spin in order to get a better look at whatever they’re confused about.
Moons will sometimes make a chittering noise that some describe as a “giggle”. This isn’t because they are content, though. These are more strained, loud calls meant to ward off danger. If you walk into their enclosure and they start giggling at you, it does NOT mean they like you. It means they’re nervous.
When DCA models are spoken to, they’ll often mimic sounds that they hear. There’s several videos online of Suns and Moons that sound like they’re saying various phrases. Suns tend to be more talkative than Moons, but Moons tend to learn songs better than Suns. They don’t actually know what these words mean, but they can be trained to recognize a simple word like “toy”, “naptime”, or “clean up”. This can be a very fun activity for your DCA! They love hearing you talk and will often repeat back words it’s heard before in an attempt to hold conversation.
On the less fun end, some rescued DCAs will not speak at all. Either through abuse or neglect, they’ve learned that their instinct to mimic either doesn’t attract attention or causes punishment. Most of these models will not speak, no matter how long they’re cared for properly.
Suns like a lot of physical attention, and they will let you know when they want it. Often times they will spread their arms out for a hug, lay their head on their owner’s lap, or press their hands on each other’s faces. They enjoy pretty much any interaction, just stick to petting their head and back. Their sky hook is the only place to avoid; their hook is very sensitive and can make some models uncomfortable.
Moons will, very occasionally and only with a strong bond with their owner, also ask for affection. They often initiate by pressing their hand against the other’s. Holding hands is a sign of a very strong relationship with your Moon. It’s important to let them come to you; trying to touch or cuddle a Moon when it isn’t ready is a sure fire way to make them dislike you.
Moons will sometimes play wrestle with other Moons or large stuffed animals if they are solitary. Though this is cute between Moon models and toys, it can cause injury in the owners. Be sure to establish a firm boundary that they may not pick you up, bite, or squeeze you, even in a playful way. They often don’t mean to hurt you, but they carry a lot of strength and can get overexcited easily. There have been unfortunate incidents where an irresponsible owner allowed their Moon to carry them to a hide or play rough with them and, through no fault of the Moon’s own, the owner gets dropped, bitten, or crushed.
Suns also carry the risk of injury if not treated with respect. They tend to accept a lot of physical affection and teasing, but if an owner stresses a model out enough, they can attack out of frustration or fear. They do not like their favorite toys being moved, and they especially don’t like getting their toys taken away while they are still playing. Sometimes, if anything gets in the enclosure that they aren’t supposed to have, it needs to be taken back. The best way to go about this is to either teach a Sun the “drop it” command, distract the Sun with a more appealing toy or, worst case scenario, knock the Sun out with supervision and take back the item. If it doesn’t seem like it will harm the Sun, don’t take it away, even if it’s strange. Some Suns’ favorite toys are cardboard boxes or plastic bottles.
You can find lots of information like this on the internet. So, please, for the love of god, don’t buy a DCA on a whim because you saw a cute video. Please do your research so your DCA can live a happy, healthy life.
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