Paris Hilton has revealed her father Rick sparked her interest in odd animals - he grew up with a raccoon as a pet!

Hilton owns a menagerie of bizarre pets - including a chinchilla and a raccoon-like kinkajou - and she suggests her love of zoo-life comes from her dad.

She says, "My dad has got a pet raccoon. He found it when it was a little baby in his ranch and he raised it.

"If you get to find them when they're in the nest and still as babies they'll open their eyes to you at first and they'll think you're their mother."

Her raccoon knowledge came in handy on the set of Hilton's new film, Repo! A Genetic Opera, when the set was overrun by the creatures.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman explains, "We had a family of raccoons on the set. We came back from lunch and they were sitting on chairs and on the actual monitors.

"I wanted to hug them but Paris pointed out they had rabies, so I ran away."

Meanwhile, Paris' pet collection keeps growing and growing - because her randy tea cup chihuahuas keep breeding.

She adds, "I have like 12 now. They keep having babies. I have to get them fixed.

"I feel bad sometimes when I'm not a great mommy. I take them wherever I go and have to switch them around. I also have three cats with short legs!"

 

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