Cats & Dogs #176: 8x8 Grid Puzzle (Medium)

medium

Tap a square: 🐱 cat → 🐶 dog → clear

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🐱 4 cats and 🐶 4 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 4 cats and 4 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 R1C4 and R1C3 means they are different. R1C4 is a cat, so R1C3 is a dog.
  2. The × clue between R2C7 and R2C8 means they are different. R2C7 is a cat, so R2C8 is a dog.
  3. The × clue between R7C4 and R8C4 means they are different. R7C4 is a dog, so R8C4 is a cat.
  4. R7C2 and R7C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R7C3 must be a cat.
  5. R7C7 and R7C8 are both cats, so R7C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  6. R7C4 and R7C6 are both dogs with one square between them, so R7C5 must be a cat.
  7. The × clue between R7C5 and R6C5 means they are different. R7C5 is a cat, so R6C5 is a dog.
  8. R6C5 and R6C7 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C6 must be a cat.
  9. R5C4 and R7C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C4 must be a cat.
  10. R1C8 and R2C8 are both dogs, so R3C8 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  11. The = clue between R3C8 and R3C7 means they are the same. R3C8 is a cat, so R3C7 is a cat.
  12. R3C7 and R3C8 are both cats, so R3C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  13. R2C7 and R3C7 are both cats, so R1C7 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  14. R1C7 and R1C8 are both dogs, so R1C6 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  15. R1C4 and R1C6 are both cats with one square between them, so R1C5 must be a dog.
  16. R1C5 and R2C5 are both dogs, so R3C5 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  17. The × clue between R3C5 and R3C4 means they are different. R3C5 is a cat, so R3C4 is a dog.
  18. R3C4 and R5C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R4C4 must be a cat.
  19. R2C7 and R3C7 are both cats, so R4C7 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  20. The = clue between R4C7 and R4C8 means they are the same. R4C7 is a dog, so R4C8 is a dog.
  21. R4C7 and R4C8 are both dogs, so R4C6 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  22. R4C4 and R4C6 are both cats with one square between them, so R4C5 must be a dog.
  23. R4C5 and R6C5 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C5 must be a cat.
  24. R4C6 and R6C6 are both cats with one square between them, so R5C6 must be a dog.
  25. R4C7 and R6C7 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C7 must be a cat.
  26. Row 1 already has its 4 dogs, so R1C1 and R1C2 must be cats.
  27. Row 7 already has its 4 cats, so R7C1 must be dogs.
  28. Column 4 already has its 4 cats, so R2C4 must be dogs.
  29. R2C4 and R2C5 are both dogs, so R2C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  30. R2C4 and R2C5 are both dogs, so R2C6 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  31. Column 5 already has its 4 dogs, so R8C5 must be cats.
  32. R8C4 and R8C5 are both cats, so R8C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  33. The = clue between R8C3 and R8C2 means they are the same. R8C3 is a dog, so R8C2 is a dog.
  34. R8C2 and R8C3 are both dogs, so R8C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  35. R8C4 and R8C5 are both cats, so R8C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  36. R7C2 and R8C2 are both dogs, so R6C2 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  37. R6C2 and R6C4 are both cats with one square between them, so R6C3 must be a dog.
  38. Column 7 already has its 4 cats, so R8C7 must be dogs.
  39. R8C6 and R8C7 are both dogs, so R8C8 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  40. R7C8 and R8C8 are both cats, so R6C8 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  41. R4C8 and R6C8 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C8 must be a cat.
  42. Row 6 already has its 4 dogs, so R6C1 must be cats.
  43. R4C1 and R6C1 are both cats with one square between them, so R5C1 must be a dog.
  44. Column 1 already has its 4 cats, so R2C1 must be dogs.
  45. Row 2 already has its 4 dogs, so R2C2 must be cats.
  46. R1C2 and R2C2 are both cats, so R3C2 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  47. R3C2 and R3C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R3C3 must be a cat.
  48. R2C3 and R3C3 are both cats, so R4C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  49. R4C3 and R6C3 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C3 must be a cat.
  50. Row 3 already has its 4 cats, so R3C1 must be dogs.
  51. Row 4 already has its 4 dogs, so R4C2 must be cats.
  52. R4C2 and R6C2 are both cats with one square between them, so R5C2 must be a dog.

About this puzzle

This 8×8 grid starts with 11 filled squares and 8 = / × clues. It can be solved in 52 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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