Built for a Scandinavian winter, prone to a very feline problem
The Norwegian Forest Cat carries a weatherproof double coat, a muscular climbing frame, and a calm, self-possessed temperament. She is not a fussy breed, so a refused meal is a genuine signal. More than in most cats, that signal points at her coat: every thorough grooming session moves a surprising volume of undercoat into her stomach, and appetite is often the first casualty when that load builds up.
Why a Wegie goes off her food
Hairball nausea is the everyday explanation, peaking when the coat turns over with the seasons and loose undercoat is everywhere, including her stomach. She may retch, eat grass if she has access to it, and refuse food until the hairball moves. Dental pain runs second; a Forest Cat with a sore tooth still hunts and climbs, but she will leave hard kibble, eat only the soft portion of a meal, or take much longer over eating than usual. Constipation belongs on the list too, because swallowed hair slows the gut as well as the stomach, and a cat who has passed little stool may feel too full and uncomfortable to eat. Add the ordinary possibilities, a mild stomach upset from a caught mouse, stress from a visiting dog, or a food batch that smells stale to a keen nose, and you have a sensible order to work through.
Checks that use the coat as evidence
Brush her, if she permits it, and look at what comes out: a brush loaded with loose undercoat supports the hairball theory, while mats forming at the hips and behind the ears suggest she has stopped grooming because she feels unwell or sore. Watch for the retching posture, crouched with neck extended, and note whether anything comes up. Check the tray for quantity and dryness of stool. Feel along her spine and ribs under the fur to confirm her condition, and glance at her gums for redness if she will let you lift a lip without a wrestling match.
Easing her through the day
Serve her usual food warmed a little to strengthen its scent, and split it into smaller, more frequent portions that sit easier on a nauseous stomach. A gentle, enjoyable grooming session removes tomorrow's hairball material today, and fresh water in a couple of locations encourages the drinking that keeps her gut moving. Keep her indoors and unhurried, and skip new foods or rich treats until her appetite is back, so you can tell what actually helped. If she eats a light supper and seems brighter, simply continue normal feeding and grooming tomorrow.
Knowing when this needs a veterinarian
Call the vet if she refuses food beyond a day, retches repeatedly with nothing produced, vomits food or foam several times, passes no stool, or becomes quiet and withdrawn in a breed that is normally steadily sociable. Repeated seasonal episodes are also worth raising at a routine visit, because the pattern may need a management plan rather than repeated waiting. Recording those episodes with their timing, coat condition, and outcome in a KinsLe Pet Passport turns a vague feeling that this keeps happening into dated evidence the vet can act on.