GridMew1Check row 6
row 6 has only one remaining candidate: row 6, column 6. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 1. Place one cat, then exclude 3 other cells.A bottom-right cat clears a path through row 3
Original puzzle gm-6-0005
By GridMew · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 16 October 2026
6 × 6 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.
The two central-lower givens make row 6 unusually restrictive. Its only available position is r6c6. Follow that new column exclusion upward instead of starting by guessing in the broad top regions.
6×6 · 2 fixed cats · 4 explained deductions. Region sizes: A: 2 · B: 8 · C: 7 · D: 9 · E: 7 · F: 3.
A deduction worth checking
Row 3 then forces r3c1. Filling region C removes r2c3, while occupying column 1 removes r1c1 and r2c1. These effects prepare row 2’s single.
A move to double-check · r2c3
Check the actual diagonal distance carefully: r2c3 is removed by the newly filled region C, not by touching r3c1. A correct exclusion still needs the correct reason.
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.
C A A B B B C C C B B B C C C B D B E D D D D F E E E E D F E E D D D F
Fixed cats: row 5, column 2; row 4, column 4. One cat is required in each row, column and region.
Step-by-step walkthrough
2Check row 3
row 3 has only one remaining candidate: row 3, column 1. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 2. Place one cat, then exclude 3 other cells.3Check 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 3. Place one cat, then exclude 1 other cells.4Check 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 4. 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, r3c1, r4c4, r5c2, r6c6.
Try another puzzle
A regional single creates a column-5 follow-up
gm-6-0010 · 6×6 · intro
Practice single-candidate placements on another 6×6 board.
Read this walkthrough →Let the fourth row settle the top edge
gm-5-0002 · 5×5 · intro
Transfer single-candidate placements to a 5×5 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 →