Getting older is golden. The grey muzzle, the slower morning stretch, the way they settle a little closer on the couch: your pet's senior years are some of the most rewarding you will share. They are also the years when a few small changes to food and care make the biggest difference.
That is the thinking behind Gold Paws, our free membership for senior pets, and The Senior Scoop, our senior care hub. Here is what they are, why we created them, and how to make sure your older pet gets everything they are entitled to.
The quick answer
Gold Paws is a free Petdirect membership that unlocks automatically when your pet reaches their senior years. There is no separate application to fill in. As long as you have a Petdirect account with your pet's profile added, a digital Gold Paws card simply appears once they are classed as a senior, unlocking member offers on senior food and care, plus tailored advice through The Senior Scoop. It works online, in the app, and in store.
What is Gold Paws?
Gold Paws is a membership made just for senior cats and dogs, and it costs nothing to be part of. There is no separate Gold Paws application. As long as you have a free Petdirect account and have added your pet's profile, their membership appears on its own the moment they cross into their senior life stage.
From that moment, your account unlocks offers chosen specifically for older pets, product recommendations matched to your pet's life stage, and The Senior Scoop, our monthly email for senior pet parents. That one step, adding your pet's profile, is what lets us know when they become a senior and switches all of it on.
Why we created Gold Paws
Senior pets are easy to overlook. Almost four in ten of the pets in our profiles are already in their senior years, and many owners have no idea, especially with larger dogs, who age faster than most people expect. By the time the signs are obvious, there have often been months when a senior diet or a little joint support could already have been helping.
We also know how much these years matter to you. In our 2025 Pet Census, more than a third of Kiwi pet owners named ageing as a top health concern, and that care deserves to be met with the right food, the right advice, and a bit of recognition. Gold Paws is our way of doing that: spotting the milestone for you, making the switch easier, and treating ageing as something to celebrate rather than dread. Getting older really is golden.
When does a pet become a senior?
A pet's senior life stage is worked out from their age and their size, not their breed. Bigger animals age faster, so a giant-breed dog is a senior years before a small one. Here is the guide we use:
| Pet | Senior from |
|---|---|
| Cats | 7 years and over |
| Small dogs | 8 years and over |
| Medium dogs | 7 years and over |
| Large dogs | 6 years and over |
| Giant breeds | 5 years and over |
If your pet is not quite there yet, there is nothing you need to do. The moment they reach their senior years, their Gold Paws membership appears automatically, as long as their profile is complete.
What you get with Gold Paws
- Exclusive offers on the things a senior pet actually needs, from senior diets to joint, dental and comfort care
- The Senior Scoop, a monthly email personalised to each of your senior pets
- A tailored Gold Paws homepage that surfaces the senior products, advice and offers most relevant to your pet
- One membership for every senior pet on your account, each with their own offers and advice
- Access wherever you shop, online, in the app, and in store
What is The Senior Scoop?
The Senior Scoop is a monthly email for senior pet parents, and it is personalised to your pet. If you have a small dog who has just turned eight and a thirteen-year-old cat, each one gets its own guidance, matched to its species, size and life stage, on everything from feeding to comfort, mobility and the everyday changes the senior years bring. It comes as part of your Gold Paws membership, so there is nothing extra to sign up for.
How to make sure your pet gets their Gold Paws
Gold Paws is unlocked by your pet's profile, so the one thing worth doing today is making sure that profile is complete and correct. Head to add or update your pet's profile in your Petdirect account and check:
Add their date of birth
We use their age to work out their life stage, so an accurate date of birth matters most.
Add their size or breed
Size decides when a dog becomes a senior, so include their breed or adult size.
Give it up to 24 hours
Profiles update daily, so allow a day after you add or change the details for the card to appear.
If your pet is clearly a senior but the membership still has not shown up after that, double-check their details are entered correctly, then get in touch with our team and we will sort it out. You can see everything in one place on the Gold Paws page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Gold Paws cost?
Nothing. Gold Paws is completely free. It is simply part of your Petdirect account that switches on when your pet reaches their senior years.
I have added my pet's profile, so why is there no membership yet?
A Gold Paws membership only appears once your pet is classed as a senior, which is worked out from their age and size. Check they are old enough for their size, that their date of birth and breed or size are filled in, and allow up to 24 hours for the profile to update.
I have more than one senior pet. Does each one get a membership?
Yes. Every pet on your account that reaches their senior years gets their own Gold Paws membership, with offers suited to them.
My pet is not a senior yet. Can I join now?
There is no separate Gold Paws sign-up. Just make sure you have a Petdirect account and add your pet's profile now, and their Gold Paws membership will appear automatically the moment they reach their senior years.
Is Gold Paws available in store as well as online?
Yes. Gold Paws is part of your Petdirect account, so your membership and offers go with you online, in the app, and in store.
Do I need the app?
No, but the app is the simplest way to see your Gold Paws membership and member offers together in one place.
Give your senior pet their golden years
Make sure your pet's profile is complete, and their Gold Paws membership will be waiting the moment they become a senior. Add or update your pet's profile, then learn more about The Senior Scoop.
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