Catdoku level 526 answer and walkthrough

The level 526 board

Place one cat in every row, every column and every colored patch. No two cats may touch, not even diagonally.

Level 526 answer

1. Row 1: column 8, in the yellow patch
2. Row 2: column 1, in the sky patch
3. Row 3: column 3, in the rose patch
4. Row 4: column 7, in the mint patch
5. Row 5: column 5, in the lilac patch
6. Row 6: column 2, in the peach patch
7. Row 7: column 4, in the aqua patch
8. Row 8: column 6, in the coral patch

How to solve level 526, step by step

After every placed cat, cross out the rest of its row, its column, its patch and the four corner squares around it. The steps below assume you do (the in-game auto-paws assist does it for you).

1. Cat 1 of 8: the yellow patch is down to a single free square at row 1, column 8, so its cat settles there.
2. A cat at row 2, column 4 would leave column 3 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 2, column 5 would leave column 3 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 2, column 6 would leave column 3 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. Row 2 only has free squares inside the sky patch, so that patch's cat is spoken for and its squares outside the line can be crossed out. Row 3 only has free squares inside the rose patch, so that patch's cat is spoken for and its squares outside the line can be crossed out. A cat at row 2, column 2 would leave column 3 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 3, column 2 would leave row 2 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. Column 2 only has free squares inside the peach patch, so that patch's cat is spoken for and its squares outside the line can be crossed out. Cat 2 of 8: column 1 has exactly one square left, at row 2, so the cat goes there.
3. Cat 3 of 8: column 3 has exactly one square left, at row 3, so the cat goes there.
4. Every free square of the lilac patch sits in column 5, so the lilac cat must come from there and the rest of column 5 can be crossed out. Column 4 only has free squares inside the aqua patch, so that patch's cat is spoken for and its squares outside the line can be crossed out. A cat at row 4, column 5 would leave the mint patch with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. Cat 4 of 8: the lilac patch is down to a single free square at row 5, column 5, so its cat settles there.
5. Cat 5 of 8: the mint patch is down to a single free square at row 4, column 7, so its cat settles there.
6. Cat 6 of 8: the aqua patch is down to a single free square at row 7, column 4, so its cat settles there.
7. Cat 7 of 8: the coral patch is down to a single free square at row 8, column 6, so its cat settles there.
8. Cat 8 of 8: the peach patch is down to a single free square at row 6, column 2, so its cat settles there.