# Circle the Cat **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 3, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718 "2009-09-03T03:04:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/1 "2009-09-03T03:04:50Z")
[http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf3/circle-the-cat.html](http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf3/circle-the-cat.html) Try to keep the cat from escaping the grid by encircling it with the dots. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/2 "2009-09-03T03:37:59Z")
Damn cat! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/3 "2009-09-03T03:49:56Z")
Scat, darn cat! ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/4 "2009-09-03T04:04:05Z")
It’s a tricky game, I can only get it maybe about 1:8 or 1:10 tries… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/5 "2009-09-03T04:39:27Z")
Well, I thought it was mundane and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/6 "2009-09-03T05:06:36Z")
I’ve been playing this one for months. I’ve gotten it down to a 95% science. The 5% is when I screw up on a specific move. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/7 "2009-09-03T05:07:58Z")
Any hints? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/8 "2009-09-03T05:13:38Z")
Oh, I see. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/9 "2009-09-03T05:36:54Z")
lol, finally got him after maybe fifteen tries! Seems to depend a lot on the initial roll ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/10 "2009-09-03T05:57:11Z")
Not as much as you think. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/11 "2009-09-03T14:39:45Z")
1st try! I rule at cat-circling. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/12 "2009-09-03T14:42:21Z")
Put your first click at the edge, wherever you see a potential weakness in the starting configuration. The direction the cat moves is its intended escape route, so the next clicks should be spaced out one space apart at the edge the cat is moving towards. [See here](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/ChatNoirExmpl-1.jpg). The spacing ensures that wherever opening the cat tries to move to, you can close it off before he gets to it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/13 "2009-09-03T14:47:26Z")
> [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](#): > > 1st try! I rule at cat-circling. I circled the cat on my first try too. 🙂 > [@garygnu](#): > > Put your first click at the edge, wherever you see a potential weakness in the starting configuration. That’s exactly what I figured out last night right after I posted. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/14 "2009-09-03T14:58:03Z")
Upon further review… I do not at all rule at cat-circling. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/15 "2009-09-03T15:06:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Shaw Communications](http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf3/circle-the-cat.html) > > Try to keep the cat from escaping the grid by encircling it with the dots. You are the worst person in the world for introducing me to this. I’ve tried twice, and I haven’t gotten it. I hate that stupid cat. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/16 "2009-09-03T15:54:23Z")
I got him on the first try also. I shall never attempt this game again, so I retire undefeated! 100% baby! ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/17 "2009-09-03T17:15:29Z")
God, it took me like six freaking times. I’m dumber than a cat. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/18 "2009-09-03T17:22:35Z")
It’s a smart cat. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/19 "2009-09-03T17:27:26Z")
Took me two tries. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718/20 "2009-09-03T19:18:32Z")
Bah. Got it on the fifth try after figuring out that you have to click far away from the cat, and trick it into a dead-end. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-the-cat/508718.md?page=2)