Last Updated on April 11, 2017.

Regular Appointment Times

  • We understand many of our customers travel several hours to come to the shop and we’re honored for you to make the drive. Our average customer travels three hours to purchase their pet, so we do our best to accommodate travelers.  Saturdays are typically our busiest day but we can almost always accommodate everyone.
  • Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are our most popular weekdays.  We set aside Tuesday and Thursday for errands.  We are willing to make exceptions for customers who have time restrains.
  • Weekday appointments are typically scheduled for 12:00PM.  We do have some flexibility with appointment times, but both  after school and evening appointments are extremely challenging.
  • Saturday appointments are scheduled from 10:00AM to 2:00 PM at two hour intervals.  Saturday appointment times may change according to sport and activity schedules for the children.  Gail does her best to keep appointment times as consistent as possible to eliminate confusion.
  • Bribery works if no other appointment times are an option! For weekday appointments after 2PM, evening and Sunday appointments there is an extra $30 so we can get carry out food for the family.  The kids don’t mind mommy working during their time if special food is involved!  I don’t mind if I don’t have to cook!!  The bribery must be paid prior to a visit because we alter our family time for special appointments.  Unfortunately, we’ve had people fail to follow through on their commitment too many times and the family has been left on hold 🙁
  • We have babies every week so there is no worry about selling out if you need to wait to make your appointment until you receive a work schedule.
  • We do have normal family life so please do NOT to show up without an appointment because we cannot guarantee that we will be available.
  • Don’t want to travel so far? Please check out our “Hedgehogs on the Road” meeting places under  Upcoming Events to see if we will be near you!  Want us to come to you?  We need a  place to hold an event and at least six people  that make deposits for the event.
  • Whether you meet us at the shop or at one of our “Hedgehogs on the Road” events, we always spend time with our customers explaining proper hedgehog care, handling hedgehogs in ways that encourage bonding and answering questions.

Purchasing Process

  • The first step is to choose an Available Baby.
  • Use the link on the hedgehog listing to make your $25 deposit.
  • During the deposit process you will be asked to choose a day and time for your appointment to meet him/her.
  • Once you reserve a hedgehog that baby is held for you as your first choice of babies to choose from when you come.  You are welcome to handle other babies and select another hedgehog
  • We like our babies to go to their new homes as soon as possible so our time limit for pick up is two weeks. This is best for the hedgehog because it allows them to go to their new home for faster bonding
  • Please add any notes for us and if you would like to meet us On the Road.
  • Review our all of our articles.
  • Reading and becoming family with our Longevity Article, our Handling Section, and our Products Page will help to you get off to a great start with your pet!

What Happens During Your Appointment

  • The first thing we will do when you come is that we will give you an orientation to the nature of hedgehogs and how their uniqueness is important in the way you handle your new pet.
  • We do have folding chairs but be prepared to sit on the floor to handle the hedgehog babies. Baby hedgehogs are not afraid of falling and for the safety and comfort of both hedgehogs and humans we sit on the floor while playing with the babies.
  • When you reserve a specific hedgehog with a deposit you will have the opportunity to handle that baby and at least one other baby before making your final purchase decision.
  • When you do not have a deposit on a specific baby we cannot guarantee specific animal availability or have advance notice of exactly which babies will be available at the time of your purchase.
  • We will work with you and give you handling tips and instructions to help you feel confident and capable of handling your new pet.
  • Preparing for your visit by reading our information guides will help us focus on your questions when you get here.
  • Some of the topics we will discuss include but are not limited to:We do have a Purchase Notes Outline available here if you would like to print it to take notes when you come.
    • Hedgehog senses and how their senses play a part in the way they like to be handled
    • How to pick up and hold your hedgehog
    • How to understand hedgehog “language”
    • Recognizing the time to pet and how to pet your hedgehog What hedgehogs eat in the wild and the correlation to captive hedgehog diets
    • Optimal temperatures
    • Veterinary care requirements
    • Cages, accessories, and bedding
  • Once you select your pet you will then be able to shop for our full line of hedgehog supplies.
  • We work hard at providing excellent products at great prices. We certainly appreciate your support by shopping with us.
  • It is our goal to get each and every customer off to the best start possible with their new pet.

Length of Appointment

  • The length of your appointment will depend on several factors so make sure you allow plenty of time for your visit.
  • How much time you spend preparing for your hedgehog and how well you understand your hedgehog’s needs.
  • Sometimes this part is very quick but other times this part can last 45 minutes depending on the amount of questions. We believe the best time to answer questions is BEFORE you take your hedgehog home.
  • Once you are introduced to your hedgehog, this could also take 45 minutes if you want to look at several hedgehogs and choose your favorite by learning different personalities. At this time we will also spend a great deal of time helping you feel confident handling this unique pet.
  • The check out process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour or more depending on how long it takes you to make decisions and if there are other people making the same decisions at the same time.
  • We suggest NOT rushing this appointment for the best new owner experience.

Meet a Hedgehog Before You Buy One

  • Choosing the right pet for you and your family is something we take very seriously.
  • We hope that you research hedgehogs as pets and understand their needs and what to expect from them before making your purchase.
  • It is hard to understand the prickliness of a hedgehog without actually holding one. Meeting a little critter in person before your purchase is definitely recommended if at all possible before actually making a purchase.
  • Hedgehogs are still considered exotic pets and are relatively hard to find. Local zoos, animal educators, nature museums or children’s museums might be options to visit one locally if traveling to us is not an option.

Educational Visits at Millermeade Are Welcome

  • We often have requests for people to come and “check-out” our animals before putting down a deposit or making a purchase.
  • Treating our customers the way we would want to be treated is very important to us and we want all of our customers to know we care about each new pet placement.
  • So, we welcome pre-purchase visits. In return, we ask that you respect our time, energy, and talents with your visit.
  • When you visit we will treat you just like a purchasing customer and do our best to answer all of your questions, allow you to handle our babies, and share our passion with you.
  • You MUST schedule a visit to our shop rather than simply showing up for a visit.
  • You will have the opportunity to choose and purchase a hedgehog the day of your visit if you decide a hedgehog is the right pet for you.

Scheduling a Visit With a Purchasing Customer

  • The simplest way to come visit our hedgehogs is to schedule a visit while another customer is purchasing a hedgehog.
  • When checking on setting up a time for your visit, please let us know if you think you might want to purchase the same day (so we can make sure your potential pet is available).
  • You can check availability by looking at this link: Available Animals.
  • Most likely your appointment will be the last appointment on a Saturday or sometime during the week when another customer is scheduled.
  • Please keep in mind you will have to be flexible with scheduling visits without a purchasing commitment than with a purchasing commitment.
  • Even if we do not have babies available for sale, there are times when we can still allow you to see what babies are like and you can purchase a future date.
  • We cannot guarantee availability of a hedgehog to take home the same day without a deposit on an animal. We do our best to keep our Available Animals page updated but we receive deposits on a daily basis so our availability is constantly changing.
  • Educational Visits are often scheduled in advance to reserve an appointment time outside of the two week time frame of selecting a baby.  Customers are more than welcome to change their Educational Visit status to a specific baby reservation within the two week time frame

Scheduling a Private Visit

  • Unfortunately, we have had visitors who took advantage of our time and resources with no real intentions of purchasing a pet from us.
  • Operating Millermeade is our career and educating customers about hedgehogs is part of our profession.
  • In order to protect our family and our business we now require a $25 deposit to “visit” the shop, that is to be paid in advance.
  • By handling a couple different hedgehogs you can make a more educated decision on the perfect pet for you.
  • Should you decide to purchase a pet from us, the $25 will be deducted from the price of your animal.
  • Should you decide that one of our pets is NOT right for you, you have simply invested $25 into your potential pet knowledge and hopefully had a great up-close and personal experience with some strange animals.
  • Again, we cannot guarantee availability of a hedgehog to take home the same day without a deposit on an animal. We do our best to keep our Available Animals page updated but we receive deposits on a daily basis so our availability is constantly changing.

Travel Accommodations

  • We have a Critter Connection discount at the Ramada Inn (419-485-5555), which is only a few miles from us.
  • The Holiday Inn Express (419-485-0008) is also just a few miles from us.
  • Historic Sauder Village is a very popular area attraction that is about a half hour away.
  • Spangler Candy Company, maker of Dum-Dums, Candy Canes, Safe-T-Pops, and Circus Peanuts, is about 10 minutes away. They offer factory tours and have a store and museum.

Surprise Gift Appointments

  • There are times relatives or friends want to surprise a loved one with a visit to the shop to pick a hedgehog as a gift.
  • We believe is it for that person to come to the appointment!
  • Even though a majority of our customers have prior animal experience, choosing and handling a hedgehog is drastically different than other pets.
  • During your appointment your loved one will learn lots of information about care and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about recommended products and we will give you lots of tips on how to care for your hedgehog.
  • Handling hedgehogs takes practice and understanding and we want you to get off to the best start possible with your new hedgehog.
  • It is critical that everyone handling the hedgehog has a complete understanding of how to make hedgehogs comfortable and how to encourage them to trust you.
  • A hedgehog will not likes its owner unless a trust relationship is not formed.
  • Also, there are times that people discover that a hedgehog isn’t the best pet for them. When the gift recipient isn’t at the appointment, they may end up with a pet they wish they didn’t have because they expected something different.
  • Please read our Hedgehogs as Gifts and Pets for Youth and Children articles for more information to help you with your gift giving decisions.

Christmas Appointments

  • We do expect to have a variety of babies available at Christmas. We will be closed Christmas Day.
  • You may want to reserve your selection spot in advance via our Educational Visit page because we fill up quickly during the holidays.
  • Closer to your appointment you can reserve your favorite baby.
  • WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE PERSON RECEIVING THE HEDGEHOG OR THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO BE PRESENT AT THE PICK-UP APPOINTMENT.

Sale Guarantee

  • We reserve the right to refuse a sale.  We love all of our animals and we want to make sure we are confident that new owners can provide quality care for their new pets.
  • We also want to give our customers the best buying and hedgehog owning experience possible.  There are times when we feel we simply cannot accommodate the needs or expectations of a customer.
  • When we believe we are not a good fit as a breeder for our potential customer we reserve the right to refund a deposit and recommend that an individual or family seek another breeder who can better meet their needs.

Transporting Home

  • Transporting your hedgehog in a shoebox-size box or a small carrier, instead of out in the open or in a large cage, will help him/her to feel safe on the drive home.
  • We also have variety a carriers to choose from when you come.
  • Most hedgehogs will sleep all the way home, and typically won’t eat or drink while traveling unless you stop for an extended period of time such as an overnight trip.

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