GridMew1Check region A
region A has only one remaining candidate: row 1, column 4. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 1. Place one cat, then exclude 8 other cells.The small top region reshapes the centre
Original puzzle gm-6-0008
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.
A is the lone cell r1c4. Its forced cat fills the top row and removes nearby central cells. Use those effects alongside the two lower givens to inspect row 2.
6×6 · 2 fixed cats · 4 explained deductions. Region sizes: A: 1 · B: 5 · C: 13 · D: 9 · E: 7 · F: 1.
A deduction worth checking
r2c2 becomes the next single and removes r3c3 by contact. The subsequent row-3 and row-4 placements follow from updating that neighborhood.
A move to double-check · r3c3
r3c3 is not excluded by column 2. Its corner contact with r2c2 explains the removal; keeping the reasons separate makes later notes easier to audit.
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.
B C C A C C B B C C C C B B C C C C E E D D D C E E D D D D E E E D D F
Fixed cats: row 6, column 6; row 5, column 1. One cat is required in each row, column and region.
Step-by-step walkthrough
2Check row 2
row 2 has only one remaining candidate: row 2, column 2. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 2. Place one cat, then exclude 2 other cells.3Check row 3
row 3 has only one remaining candidate: row 3, 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 4
row 4 has only one remaining candidate: row 4, 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: r1c4, r2c2, r3c5, r4c3, r5c1, r6c6.
Try another puzzle
A bottom-right cat clears a path through row 3
gm-6-0005 · 6×6 · intro
Practice single-candidate placements on another 6×6 board.
Read this walkthrough →Resolve the outside rows before the top centre
gm-5-0010 · 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 →