I’m a whizz with arithmetic. My maths is correct 93 per cent of the time and who cares about the other nine per cent?
I’m even better with statistics, despite the fact that 49 per cent of them are completely made up. And remember that, statistically, six out of The Seven Dwarves aren’t Happy. 
But when it’s all boiled down, rabbits are the boys when it comes to number crunching. To start with, there are 67 breeds of rabbit with 537 varieties.
They range in size from an adult weight of 1kg (that’s the Netherland Dwarf) to over 6kg (the burly, and aptly named, Flemish Giant). Life span, if properly looked after, is generally six to eight years but we do see rabbits living over a decade. 
Females are called does, males are called bucks and, on average, you get between six and eight youngsters, called kittens, in a litter. The largest recorded litter size, however, is 24!
It may surprise you to know that rabbits are the third most popular pet in Britain with over two million rabbits living with us. Remarkably, one in 20 households now own one or more pet rabbits.
But round about now is when the numbers begin to be bad news. Unfortunately, around 33,000 rabbits are handed in to rescue centres every year. That’s 33,000 owners who didn’t think long and hard about whether they really wanted a rabbit and whether they could devote the time and energy required to keep them fed, cleaned and occupied. 
If you are thinking about the commitment required, speak to the Rabbit Welfare Association (0844 324 6090 or www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk). Rabbit Rehome (www.rabbitrehome.org.uk ) lists details for rescue rabbits looking for new homes and can put potential owners in touch with local rescue centres. Alternatively, contact the SSPCA.
And, as you might expect, the numbers get worse. At least 80 per cent of rabbits in the UK are fed incorrectly and one of the most common reasons for rabbits becoming unwell is a poor diet. 
There are a number of reasons. Firstly, rabbits’ teeth continue to grow throughout life at a rate of 2-3mm per week. Whilst they chew 120 times a minute, it is crucial that rabbits are fed high fibre diets to grind down these teeth. Hay or grass should be the bedrock of this diet, not the aesthetically-pleasing-to-humans muesli type mix that is still sold in many pet shops. 
This type of diet allows selective feeding so that the rabbit just picks out the tasty high calorie bits, rather like a child presented with a huge finger buffet. The chips and chocolate go first! Consequently, 75 per cent of rabbits have dental abnormalities that require expensive treatment under general anaesthesia.
Next problem is that rabbits pass two forms of faeces; the hard pellet that is genuine waste and a soft caecotroph which must be reingested by the rabbit for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients to occur. 
Since 30 per cent of rabbits are obese, they are unable to reach their anus to do this. The result is a dirty bottom, fly strike and vitamin deficiencies.
Too many pet rabbits become another statistic.