Cats & Dogs #49: 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 R4C3 and R3C3 means they are different. R4C3 is a cat, so R3C3 is a dog.
  2. The × clue between R4C2 and R5C2 means they are different. R4C2 is a dog, so R5C2 is a cat.
  3. R2C3 and R3C3 are both dogs, so R1C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  4. R1C1 and R1C3 are both cats with one square between them, so R1C2 must be a dog.
  5. Column 3 already has its 3 dogs, so R5C3 must be cats.
  6. R5C2 and R5C3 are both cats, so R5C1 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  7. R5C2 and R5C3 are both cats, so R5C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  8. The × clue between R5C4 and R5C5 means they are different. R5C4 is a dog, so R5C5 is a cat.
  9. Row 5 already has its 3 cats, so R5C6 must be dogs.
  10. R3C6 and R5C6 are both dogs with one square between them, so R4C6 must be a cat.
  11. Column 6 already has its 3 dogs, so R1C6 must be cats.
  12. Row 1 already has its 3 cats, so R1C4 and R1C5 must be dogs.
  13. Column 6 already has its 3 dogs, so R2C6 must be cats.
  14. The = clue between R2C6 and R2C5 means they are the same. R2C6 is a cat, so R2C5 is a cat.
  15. R2C5 and R2C6 are both cats, so R2C4 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  16. R2C3 and R2C4 are both dogs, so R2C2 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  17. R1C4 and R2C4 are both dogs, so R3C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  18. Row 2 already has its 3 cats, so R2C1 must be dogs.
  19. Column 2 already has its 3 cats, so R6C2 must be dogs.
  20. R6C2 and R6C3 are both dogs, so R6C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  21. R6C2 and R6C3 are both dogs, so R6C4 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  22. Row 6 already has its 3 dogs, so R6C5 must be cats.
  23. R5C5 and R6C5 are both cats, so R4C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  24. Column 4 already has its 3 dogs, so R4C4 must be cats.
  25. Row 4 already has its 3 cats, so R4C1 must be dogs.
  26. R2C1 and R4C1 are both dogs with one square between them, so R3C1 must be a cat.
  27. Row 3 already has its 3 cats, so R3C5 must be dogs.

About this puzzle

This 6×6 grid starts with 8 filled squares and 4 = / × clues. It can be solved in 27 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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