Find the Cat #106: 8x8 Grid Puzzle (Medium)

medium

Tap a square: ✕ (ruled out) → 🐱 (cat) → clear

0 / 8 cats · 0:00
Red (9)Orange (3)Yellow (7)Green (14)Teal (1)Blue (8)Purple (13)Pink (9)

Find the 8 hidden cats. Each row, each column and each colored region holds exactly one, and cats never sit on neighboring squares, diagonals included.

  • One cat in every row and every column.
  • One cat in every color region.
  • Cats can’t touch — not even diagonally.

Step-by-step solution

Squares are written as R<row>C<column>, counting from the top-left. Cross out the squares listed, and place a cat wherever a step says so.

  1. The Teal region has only one open square left: R5C8. Put a cat there.
  2. The Orange region has only one open square left: R1C7. Put a cat there.
  3. The Blue region has only one open square left: R4C6. Put a cat there.
  4. Wherever the cat in the Yellow region ends up, it rules out R7C1. Cross that square out.
  5. Wherever the cat in the Green region ends up, it rules out R2C2 and R2C3. Cross those squares out.
  6. Wherever the cat in the Purple region ends up, it rules out R7C4. Cross that square out.
  7. Wherever the cat in the Pink region ends up, it rules out R2C1. Cross that square out.
  8. Wherever the cat in the Green region ends up, it rules out R3C4. Cross that square out.
  9. Wherever the cat in row 7 ends up, it rules out R8C3. Cross that square out.
  10. Wherever the cat in column 1 ends up, it rules out R3C2. Cross that square out.
  11. Wherever the cat in column 2 ends up, it rules out R7C3. Cross that square out.
  12. Wherever the cat in column 3 ends up, it rules out R6C4 and R6C5. Cross those squares out.
  13. Wherever the cat in row 6 ends up, it rules out R7C2. Cross that square out.
  14. Row 7 has only one open square left: R7C5. Put a cat there.
  15. The Green region has only one open square left: R2C4. Put a cat there.
  16. The Red region has only one open square left: R6C3. Put a cat there.
  17. The Yellow region has only one open square left: R8C2. Put a cat there.
  18. The Pink region has only one open square left: R3C1. Put a cat there.

About this puzzle

Where to start: the Teal region is a single square, so its cat is already decided. Its 8 color regions range from 1 square (Teal) to 14 squares. It can be solved in 18 deduction steps using "wherever it goes" eliminations.

A useful habit is to mark squares you have ruled out. Tap a square once for a cross and twice for a cat -- crosses cost nothing and make later deductions much easier to spot.

This is a variation of the Star Battle family of grid puzzles, sometimes also called Queens-style puzzles, with cats in place of stars.

More medium puzzles