Cats & Dogs #8: 6x6 Grid Puzzle (Easy)

easy

Tap a square: 🐱 cat → 🐶 dog → clear

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🐱 3 cats and 🐶 3 dogs in every row and column = same   × different

Can you finish the grid? Cats and dogs must balance in every line, no animal may appear three times in a row, and = / × signs tell you whether two neighbors match.

  • Exactly 3 cats and 3 dogs in every row and every column.
  • Never three of the same animal in a row, across or down.
  • An = between two squares means the same animal; a × means different animals.

Step-by-step solution

Squares are written as R<row>C<column>, counting from the top-left.

  1. The = clue between R3C1 and R2C1 means they are the same. R3C1 is a dog, so R2C1 is a dog.
  2. The × clue between R2C1 and R2C2 means they are different. R2C1 is a dog, so R2C2 is a cat.
  3. R2C1 and R3C1 are both dogs, so R1C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  4. The = clue between R1C1 and R1C2 means they are the same. R1C1 is a cat, so R1C2 is a cat.
  5. R1C1 and R1C2 are both cats, so R1C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  6. The = clue between R1C3 and R1C4 means they are the same. R1C3 is a dog, so R1C4 is a dog.
  7. R1C3 and R1C4 are both dogs, so R1C5 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  8. R2C1 and R3C1 are both dogs, so R4C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  9. R4C1 and R4C2 are both cats, so R4C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  10. R1C2 and R2C2 are both cats, so R3C2 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  11. R3C1 and R3C2 are both dogs, so R3C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  12. R1C5 and R2C5 are both cats, so R3C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  13. Row 1 already has its 3 cats, so R1C6 must be dogs.
  14. Row 3 already has its 3 dogs, so R3C4 and R3C6 must be cats.
  15. Column 2 already has its 3 cats, so R5C2 and R6C2 must be dogs.
  16. Column 5 already has its 3 cats, so R4C5 must be dogs.
  17. R4C3 and R4C5 are both dogs with one square between them, so R4C4 must be a cat.
  18. R3C4 and R4C4 are both cats, so R2C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  19. R3C4 and R4C4 are both cats, so R5C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  20. R5C2 and R5C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C3 must be a cat.
  21. Row 4 already has its 3 cats, so R4C6 must be dogs.
  22. The = clue between R4C6 and R5C6 means they are the same. R4C6 is a dog, so R5C6 is a dog.
  23. R4C6 and R5C6 are both dogs, so R6C6 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  24. Row 5 already has its 3 dogs, so R5C1 must be cats.
  25. R4C1 and R5C1 are both cats, so R6C1 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  26. R6C1 and R6C2 are both dogs, so R6C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  27. Column 3 already has its 3 cats, so R2C3 must be dogs.
  28. Row 2 already has its 3 dogs, so R2C6 must be cats.
  29. Column 4 already has its 3 dogs, so R6C4 must be cats.
  30. R6C3 and R6C4 are both cats, so R6C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).

About this puzzle

This 6×6 grid starts with 4 filled squares and 5 = / × clues. It can be solved in 30 steps using pairs, gaps, counts and clues.

Start with the clues and the squares already filled in. An = or × next to a known animal gives you its neighbor immediately.

Stuck? Open the step-by-step solution below -- each step names the squares involved, so you can use it as a hint and finish the puzzle yourself.

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