Sirius Pöysti Headcanon - Ferrets
Sirius has a two bedroom apartment. One bedroom is for themselves while the other one is split in the middle - half is for their desk and bookshelves and the other half is the ferret enclosure.
Ferrets are very active animals and require time to play daily for their health. Along one wall is their cage. It is big and spacious enough with plenty of hammocks for sleeping. There is a clear pet barrier that splits the room so that Bandit and Milkshake cannot climb it and plot their escape. However, they can still see everything that is going on in the rest of the room and track Sirius's movements.
The rest of the enclosure has plenty of toys for the ferrets to play with. Including multiple tunnel systems for climbing around and a ball pit as ferrets are natural diggers. In the corners are litter boxes and puppy pads for bathroom needs. There are also three water dishes - one in the cage and two placed around the enclosure.
Ferrets are carnivores and thrive best on an all raw meat diet which Sirius takes very serious. One of the best methods is to blend the meat up into a soupy mixture for the ferrets to lap up. Salmon oil is a great treat for them and Sirius will usually put some on their bellies, causing the ferrets to lick it off when it's time to trim their nails as it helps to distract them and make them less likely to squirm around and get hurt. He also has pet cams focused on the enclosure so he can check on them while away.
Sometimes the ferrets demand to be carried so Sirius has a fabric baby sling they are allowed to chill in if they want. They also have a pet stroller so they can take the ferrets out on adventures. Both of them are very well trained on harnesses and never stray too far from Sirius.
Ferret schedule aka what it is like to be a ferret parent:
After Sirius wakes up in the morning, they will go into the ferret and open the cage doors, allowing Bandit and Milkshake to come out if they wish.
Then Sirius will go make their morning coffee or tea (depends on how they feel) and will take the premade ferret soup out of the fridge, warming it up in the microwave a little.
Once both drink and soup are done, they will take the food to the ferrets and place it inside the enclosure, closest to the cage for the babies then sit outside the enclosure to enjoy their coffee/tea
Ferrets are allowed to run around and play inside the enclosure while Sirius gets ready for the day.
If staying home, they are allowed out of the enclosure and can run around the whole apartment (first thing Sirius did when they moved in was ferret proof it)
If Sirius has to leave home for work or other reasons, Bandit and Milkshake go back in their cage.
Once Sirius is home, they do have free roam of the apartment again, usually getting in Sirius's way while they do chores or make dinner.
Speaking of dinner, the ferrets will get another round of soup. Sirius makes a big batch, putting half in the fridge to save for morning. If they feel like the ferrets deserve a treat, the soup is sometimes topped with some salmon oil or with a quail egg (regular eggs can be used if you have more than one ferret and split it up amongst them - Sirius likes quail because of their size, making them the perfect treat - also small amounts should only be given once or twice a week as too much egg can cause health issues for ferrets)
Once it's time for bed, Bandit and Milkshake are put back in their cage for night. Very rarely does Sirius let them stay out all night to sleep in bed with him.