Cats & Dogs #87: 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

A 6x6 logic grid: 3 cats and 3 dogs in every row and column, no three of a kind in a row, and a few = and × clues to point the way.

  • 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 R1C2 and R1C1 means they are the same. R1C2 is a dog, so R1C1 is a dog.
  2. The × clue between R6C5 and R5C5 means they are different. R6C5 is a dog, so R5C5 is a cat.
  3. R1C1 and R1C2 are both dogs, so R1C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  4. R1C3 and R1C5 are both cats with one square between them, so R1C4 must be a dog.
  5. R1C1 and R2C1 are both dogs, so R3C1 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  6. R1C3 and R2C3 are both cats, so R3C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  7. The = clue between R3C3 and R3C4 means they are the same. R3C3 is a dog, so R3C4 is a dog.
  8. R3C3 and R3C4 are both dogs, so R3C2 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  9. The × clue between R3C2 and R4C2 means they are different. R3C2 is a cat, so R4C2 is a dog.
  10. R3C3 and R3C4 are both dogs, so R3C5 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  11. R1C4 and R3C4 are both dogs with one square between them, so R2C4 must be a cat.
  12. R2C3 and R2C4 are both cats, so R2C2 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  13. R2C3 and R2C4 are both cats, so R2C5 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  14. R3C5 and R5C5 are both cats with one square between them, so R4C5 must be a dog.
  15. Row 1 already has its 3 dogs, so R1C6 must be cats.
  16. Row 2 already has its 3 dogs, so R2C6 must be cats.
  17. R1C6 and R2C6 are both cats, so R3C6 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  18. Column 2 already has its 3 dogs, so R5C2 must be cats.
  19. The = clue between R5C2 and R5C1 means they are the same. R5C2 is a cat, so R5C1 is a cat.
  20. R5C1 and R5C2 are both cats, so R5C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  21. R3C1 and R5C1 are both cats with one square between them, so R4C1 must be a dog.
  22. R4C1 and R4C2 are both dogs, so R4C3 must be a cat (no three in a row).
  23. Row 4 already has its 3 dogs, so R4C4 and R4C6 must be cats.
  24. Row 5 already has its 3 cats, so R5C4 and R5C6 must be dogs.
  25. Column 1 already has its 3 dogs, so R6C1 must be cats.
  26. Column 2 already has its 3 dogs, so R6C2 must be cats.
  27. R6C1 and R6C2 are both cats, so R6C3 must be a dog (no three in a row).
  28. R6C3 and R6C5 are both dogs with one square between them, so R6C4 must be a cat.
  29. Row 6 already has its 3 cats, so R6C6 must be dogs.

About this puzzle

This 6×6 grid starts with 5 filled squares and 5 = / × clues. It can be solved in 29 steps using pairs, gaps, counts and clues.

Count as you go. Once a row or column has all of one animal, every remaining empty square in it must be the other.

Every puzzle on this site has exactly one solution that can be reached by deduction. If you are guessing, look again at the rows and columns that are nearly full.

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