GridMew1Check row 2
row 2 has only one remaining candidate: row 2, column 5. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 1. Place one cat, then exclude 1 other cells.Resolve the outside rows before the top centre
Original puzzle gm-5-0010
By GridMew · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 16 October 2026
5 × 5 intro
Read the starting position, follow the deductions, and check the move that is easy to misread.
Puzzle board · starting state
How to approach this board
Coordinates such as r2c3 mean row 2, column 3. Count rows from the top and columns from the left.
Rows 3 and 4 already have their cats. Row 2 can be settled at the right edge, then row 5 at the left. Their column effects resolve the broad top region without guessing inside it.
5×5 · 2 fixed cats · 3 explained deductions. Region sizes: A: 11 · B: 1 · C: 3 · D: 5 · E: 5.
A deduction worth checking
The bottom-row placement at r5c1 reaches up column 1 and removes r1c1. Together with the earlier r2c5 cat, it narrows the top row to r1c3.
A move to double-check · r1c1
The empty distance between r5c1 and r1c1 is irrelevant to the column quota. A cat blocks its whole column, not only the cells beside it.
Green marks the cell being discussed, not a cat to place. This is the position before step 2; compare the deduction below.
Read the starting board as text
Each line is one row, left to right. Matching letters belong to the same connected region.
A A A A A A C A A B C C D A A E E D D A E E E D D
Fixed cats: row 4, column 4; row 3, column 2. One cat is required in each row, column and region.
Step-by-step walkthrough
2Check row 5
row 5 has only one remaining candidate: row 5, column 1. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 2. Place one cat, then exclude 1 other cells.3Check row 1
row 1 has only one remaining candidate: row 1, column 3. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 3. Place one cat, then exclude 0 other cells.Show solution · reveals all cat positions
The final cats satisfy every row, column and region quota, with no edge or corner contact.
Cat positions: r1c3, r2c5, r3c2, r4c4, r5c1.
Try another puzzle
Let the fourth row settle the top edge
gm-5-0002 · 5×5 · intro
Practice single-candidate placements on another 5×5 board.
Read this walkthrough →A bottom-right cat clears a path through row 3
gm-6-0005 · 6×6 · intro
Transfer single-candidate placements to a 6×6 grid; compare how the candidates change.
Read this walkthrough →A shared neighborhood settles the right edge
gm-6-0007 · 6×6 · challenge
Compare this route with shared-neighbor exclusions, and check why that different rule is needed.
Read this walkthrough →