A proposal to allow local councils to require cat owners to have their pets micro-chipped is expected to gain a majority in parliament on Wednesday, public broadcaster NOS reports.

Some 37 local councils have asked for the measure, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

According to D66 MP Tjeerd de Groot, who will put the proposal to the vote during a debate on animal welfare, some 35,000 of the 2.6 million cats in the Netherlands end up in animal shelters each year.

Apart from the strays, there are around a million feral cats which are causing damage to wildlife and carry diseases, he said.

The MP did not say how he wants to tackle the feral cat problem but hopes micro-chipping, which is already compulsory for dogs, will help owners to be reunited with their pets more quickly. Micro-chipping a cat costs around €30.