GridMew1Check region A
region A has only one remaining candidate: row 1, column 6. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 1. Place one cat, then exclude 7 other cells.Two small upper regions steer the lower rows
Original puzzle gm-6-0027
By GridMew · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 16 October 2026
6 × 6 practice
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 given at r6c5 fills F. Region A’s two top-right cells share the top row, but the occupied column 5 leaves only r1c6. C then forces r3c1.
6×6 · 1 fixed cats · 5 explained deductions. Region sizes: A: 2 · B: 13 · C: 1 · D: 5 · E: 9 · F: 6.
A deduction worth checking
After these two placements, column 2 has only r5c2. Its neighborhood removes r4c3 and prepares the row-4 single.
A move to double-check · r4c3
The narrow diagonal gap at r4c3 is closed by the cat at r5c2. A cell does not need to share a region or a line with a cat to become unavailable.
Green marks the cell being discussed, not a cat to place. This is the position before step 3; 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 B B B A A B B B B B B C E D D B B E E D D D B E E E F F F E E E F F F
Fixed cats: row 6, column 5. One cat is required in each row, column and region.
Step-by-step walkthrough
2Check region C
region C 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 8 other cells.3Check column 2
column 2 has only one remaining candidate: row 5, column 2. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 3. Place one cat, then exclude 2 other cells.4Check row 4
row 4 has only one remaining candidate: row 4, column 4. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 4. Place one cat, then exclude 1 other cells.5Check row 2
row 2 has only one remaining candidate: row 2, column 3. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 5. 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: r1c6, r2c3, r3c1, r4c4, r5c2, r6c5.
Try another puzzle
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gm-6-0009 · 6×6 · practice
Practice single-candidate placements on another 6×6 board.
Read this walkthrough →Clear the bottom row, then work upward
gm-5-0029 · 5×5 · practice
Transfer single-candidate placements to a 5×5 grid; compare how the candidates change.
Read this walkthrough →Two possible cats, one shared exclusion
gm-5-0001 · 5×5 · challenge
Compare this route with shared-neighbor exclusions, and check why that different rule is needed.
Read this walkthrough →