GridMew1Check region C
region C has only one remaining candidate: row 3, column 3. 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.A narrow central region links two edges
Original puzzle gm-6-0043
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 r2c1 leaves region C with its lower cell r3c3. That placement reduces the narrow right-edge D to r4c6, after which the small bottom region becomes useful.
6×6 · 1 fixed cats · 5 explained deductions. Region sizes: A: 7 · B: 7 · C: 2 · D: 2 · E: 16 · F: 2.
A deduction worth checking
F resolves at r6c2. It clears the rest of row 6 and removes r5c2 through column 2, helping row 5 settle at r5c4.
A move to double-check · r5c2
r5c2 is not in F, but it shares column 2 with r6c2. If row 5 still appears to have this alternative, update the full column after the placement.
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 A A A A B B C A A A B B C E E D E B E E E D E E E E E E F F E E E E
Fixed cats: row 2, column 1. One cat is required in each row, column and region.
Step-by-step walkthrough
2Check region D
region D has only one remaining candidate: row 4, column 6. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 2. Place one cat, then exclude 5 other cells.3Check region F
region F has only one remaining candidate: row 6, column 2. Every other cell is excluded by earlier placements or deductions. Place the cat here.
Before step 3. Place one cat, then exclude 3 other cells.4Check row 5
row 5 has only one remaining candidate: row 5, 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 1
row 1 has only one remaining candidate: row 1, column 5. 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: r1c5, r2c1, r3c3, r4c6, r5c4, r6c2.
Try another puzzle
A bottom-row single reaches a right-edge region
gm-6-0001 · 6×6 · practice
Practice single-candidate placements on another 6×6 board.
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gm-5-0008 · 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 →