Catdoku level 990 answer and walkthrough

The level 990 board

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

Level 990 answer

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

How to solve level 990, 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. Every free square of the lilac patch sits in row 5, so the lilac cat must come from there and the rest of row 5 can be crossed out. Every free square of the coral patch sits in row 8, so the coral cat must come from there and the rest of row 8 can be crossed out. A cat at row 2, column 1 would leave column 2 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 4, column 4 would leave row 5 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 6, column 4 would leave row 5 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 7, column 2 would leave the aqua patch with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 7, column 5 would leave row 8 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 6, column 7 would leave the peach patch with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 7, column 6 would leave row 8 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 6, column 8 would leave the peach patch with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. The peach and aqua patches all squeeze into rows 6 and 7, so those rows are reserved for them; every other square there can be crossed out. A cat at row 3, column 2 would leave the rose patch with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 3, column 3 would leave column 2 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. The rose and mint patches all squeeze into rows 3 and 4, so those rows are reserved for them; every other square there can be crossed out. The sky, mint, peach and coral patches all squeeze into columns 5, 6, 7 and 8, so those columns are reserved for them; every other square there can be crossed out. A cat at row 4, column 3 would leave row 5 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. A cat at row 6, column 3 would leave row 5 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. Every free square of the aqua patch sits in row 7, so the aqua cat must come from there and the rest of row 7 can be crossed out. Column 8 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. Cat 1 of 8: column 7 has exactly one square left, at row 4, so the cat goes there.
2. Cat 2 of 8: the rose patch is down to a single free square at row 3, column 1, so its cat settles there.
3. Cat 3 of 8: column 2 has exactly one square left, at row 1, so the cat goes there.
4. Cat 4 of 8: the sky patch is down to a single free square at row 2, column 8, so its cat settles there.
5. A cat at row 6, column 5 would leave column 4 with no home for its cat, so cross that square out. Cat 5 of 8: the peach patch is down to a single free square at row 6, column 6, so its cat settles there.
6. Cat 6 of 8: the coral patch is down to a single free square at row 8, column 5, so its cat settles there.
7. Cat 7 of 8: the aqua patch is down to a single free square at row 7, column 3, so its cat settles there.
8. Cat 8 of 8: the lilac patch is down to a single free square at row 5, column 4, so its cat settles there.