Cats & Dogs #172: 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

A 8x8 logic grid: 4 cats and 4 dogs in every row and column, no three of a kind in a row, and a few = and × clues to point the way.

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

About this puzzle

This 8×8 grid starts with 11 filled squares and 5 = / × clues. It can be solved in 51 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.

This kind of puzzle is known as a binary or Takuzu puzzle, here with cats and dogs and extra = / × clues.

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