ATLANTIC CITY- It was a feline frenzy for volunteers looking to help control the feral cat population in Atlantic City this weekend. The method they use is widely accepted as the only humane, yet effective technique to help keep the cats under control.

"It's bad," said A.C. resident, Leila Smith, "you can't go corner to corner and not see a cat." The feral cat population in and around Buzby Village in Atlantic City is booming out of control. Which is why Alley Cat Allies finally got involved.

"I'm gonna try and set the trap on the ground, sort of far away from them," said one volunteer watching a few cats run around, "they see us, they definitely see us."

More than 30 volunteers are trapping the feral cats so they can be spayed and neutered. Since the cats are afraid of humans, traps are placed where the cats hang out, like behind trash cans, under steps, even in hard to reach crawl spaces. "If they're taken to a shelter, more than 70% of cats are killed at shelters," said Alley Cat Allies President, Becky Robinson, "those that are unsocial, all of them are killed. This program is a safety net for those cats."

The trapped cats are then transferred to the Best Friends Veterinary Hospital, where the cats are fixed, vaccinated and eartipped for identification purposes, before being returned home. Since 1990, Alley Cat Allies has led the nation in promoting non-lethal animal control with trap-neuter-return, the only humane but effective method to reduce the feral cat population.

"Thank God they came out," said Smith, "I'm surprised they came as fast- I didn't believe they was gonna come."

Confused, sore and a little groggy, 68 cats are returned to their habitats today. Residents are happy to see their pseudo-pets brought back safely. "It was really thoughtful that you guys could take the time to neuter the cats," said 11 year-old Simone Smith.

Volunteer caregivers will provide food and water for the colonies of cats, and thank Alley Cat Allies for making sure new colonies don't pop up next spring.

Young cats that can be domesticated will be put up for adoption. The Alley Cat Allies first got involved in Atlantic City in 2000, when they trapped, neutered, and returned more than 270 feral cats under the boardwalk.