Cats & Dogs #141: 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 R2C5 and R1C5 means they are the same. R2C5 is a cat, so R1C5 is a cat.
  2. The × clue between R5C3 and R4C3 means they are different. R5C3 is a cat, so R4C3 is a dog.
  3. The × clue between R5C3 and R6C3 means they are different. R5C3 is a cat, so R6C3 is a dog.
  4. The = clue between R5C7 and R5C8 means they are the same. R5C7 is a cat, so R5C8 is a cat.
  5. The × clue between R5C7 and R6C7 means they are different. R5C7 is a cat, so R6C7 is a dog.
  6. R2C5 and R2C7 are both cats with one square between them, so R2C6 must be a dog.
  7. The × clue between R2C6 and R1C6 means they are different. R2C6 is a dog, so R1C6 is a cat.
  8. R1C5 and R1C6 are both cats, so R1C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  9. R1C3 and R1C4 are both dogs, so R1C2 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  10. R1C5 and R1C6 are both cats, so R1C7 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  11. R5C7 and R5C8 are both cats, so R5C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  12. R6C3 and R6C5 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C4 must be a cat.
  13. R6C5 and R6C7 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C6 must be a cat.
  14. R1C2 and R3C2 are both cats with one square between them, so R2C2 must be a dog.
  15. R1C5 and R2C5 are both cats, so R3C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  16. The = clue between R3C5 and R4C5 means they are the same. R3C5 is a dog, so R4C5 is a dog.
  17. The × clue between R4C5 and R4C6 means they are different. R4C5 is a dog, so R4C6 is a cat.
  18. R4C3 and R4C5 are both dogs with one square between them, so R4C4 must be a cat.
  19. R4C4 and R6C4 are both cats with one square between them, so R5C4 must be a dog.
  20. R5C4 and R5C6 are both dogs with one square between them, so R5C5 must be a cat.
  21. R6C6 and R7C6 are both cats, so R8C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  22. The × clue between R8C6 and R8C5 means they are different. R8C6 is a dog, so R8C5 is a cat.
  23. The × clue between R8C6 and R8C7 means they are different. R8C6 is a dog, so R8C7 is a cat.
  24. Row 5 already has its 4 cats, so R5C1 and R5C2 must be dogs.
  25. Column 5 already has its 4 cats, so R7C5 must be dogs.
  26. Column 6 already has its 4 cats, so R3C6 must be dogs.
  27. R3C5 and R3C6 are both dogs, so R3C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  28. R3C2 and R3C4 are both cats with one square between them, so R3C3 must be a dog.
  29. R3C5 and R3C6 are both dogs, so R3C7 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  30. R1C3 and R3C3 are both dogs with one square between them, so R2C3 must be a cat.
  31. R2C3 and R2C5 are both cats with one square between them, so R2C4 must be a dog.
  32. R2C7 and R3C7 are both cats, so R4C7 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  33. Row 3 already has its 4 dogs, so R3C1 must be cats.
  34. R3C1 and R4C1 are both cats, so R2C1 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  35. Row 2 already has its 4 dogs, so R2C8 must be cats.
  36. Column 3 already has its 4 dogs, so R7C3 and R8C3 must be cats.
  37. R8C3 and R8C5 are both cats with one square between them, so R8C4 must be a dog.
  38. Column 4 already has its 4 dogs, so R7C4 must be cats.
  39. R7C3 and R7C4 are both cats, so R7C2 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  40. R5C2 and R7C2 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C2 must be a cat.
  41. Column 7 already has its 4 cats, so R7C7 must be dogs.
  42. The × clue between R7C7 and R7C8 means they are different. R7C7 is a dog, so R7C8 is a cat.
  43. The = clue between R7C8 and R8C8 means they are the same. R7C8 is a cat, so R8C8 is a cat.
  44. R5C8 and R7C8 are both cats with one square between them, so R6C8 must be a dog.
  45. Row 6 already has its 4 dogs, so R6C1 must be cats.
  46. Row 7 already has its 4 cats, so R7C1 must be dogs.
  47. Row 8 already has its 4 cats, so R8C1 and R8C2 must be dogs.
  48. Column 1 already has its 4 dogs, so R1C1 must be cats.
  49. Row 1 already has its 4 cats, so R1C8 must be dogs.
  50. Column 2 already has its 4 dogs, so R4C2 must be cats.
  51. Row 4 already has its 4 cats, so R4C8 must be dogs.

About this puzzle

This 8×8 grid starts with 10 filled squares and 12 = / × clues. It can be solved in 51 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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