Cats & Dogs #27: 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 R2C2 and R1C2 means they are the same. R2C2 is a cat, so R1C2 is a cat.
  2. The = clue between R4C2 and R4C1 means they are the same. R4C2 is a cat, so R4C1 is a cat.
  3. The = clue between R4C1 and R3C1 means they are the same. R4C1 is a cat, so R3C1 is a cat.
  4. R3C1 and R3C3 are both cats with one square between them, so R3C2 must be a dog.
  5. R4C1 and R4C2 are both cats, so R4C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  6. R3C1 and R4C1 are both cats, so R2C1 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  7. R3C1 and R4C1 are both cats, so R5C1 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  8. Row 3 already has its 3 cats, so R3C4 must be dogs.
  9. The = clue between R3C4 and R4C4 means they are the same. R3C4 is a dog, so R4C4 is a dog.
  10. R4C3 and R4C4 are both dogs, so R4C5 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  11. R3C4 and R4C4 are both dogs, so R2C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  12. R2C2 and R2C4 are both cats with one square between them, so R2C3 must be a dog.
  13. R3C4 and R4C4 are both dogs, so R5C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  14. Row 3 already has its 3 cats, so R3C5 must be dogs.
  15. Row 4 already has its 3 cats, so R4C6 must be dogs.
  16. Column 2 already has its 3 cats, so R5C2 must be dogs.
  17. R5C1 and R5C2 are both dogs, so R5C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  18. The × clue between R5C3 and R6C3 means they are different. R5C3 is a cat, so R6C3 is a dog.
  19. R5C3 and R5C4 are both cats, so R5C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  20. Row 5 already has its 3 dogs, so R5C6 must be cats.
  21. Column 2 already has its 3 cats, so R6C2 must be dogs.
  22. R6C2 and R6C3 are both dogs, so R6C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  23. R6C2 and R6C3 are both dogs, so R6C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  24. R6C4 and R6C6 are both cats with one square between them, so R6C5 must be a dog.
  25. Column 1 already has its 3 cats, so R1C1 must be dogs.
  26. Column 3 already has its 3 dogs, so R1C3 must be cats.
  27. R1C2 and R1C3 are both cats, so R1C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  28. Column 5 already has its 3 dogs, so R1C5 must be cats.
  29. Row 1 already has its 3 cats, so R1C6 must be dogs.
  30. Column 5 already has its 3 dogs, so R2C5 must be cats.
  31. R2C4 and R2C5 are both cats, so R2C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).

About this puzzle

This 6×6 grid starts with 5 filled squares and 5 = / × clues. It can be solved in 31 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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