Paris Hilton is desperate for a baby - and is convinced she will be a good parent because she owns so many animals.

The heiress has said she would like to get pregnant soon, following her close friend and Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie's step into motherhood earlier this year.

And the socialite insists she is a capable guardian - because she has raised a menagerie of pets, including a ferret, a chinchilla, a kinkajou and over a dozen dogs.

She says, "I have lots of beautiful animals that I look after and I feel I would have a lot to give my children."

The 27-year-old is currently linked to Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden, the twin brother of Richie's partner Joel.