My rabbit is scared and shaking all the time.

I have recently got 2 rabbits, they are quite big, I do not have knowledge of their age but they are medium-sized.

They are both females and they both live in the garden, I feed them everyday and they seem fine and lovely, they jump around the garden and eat the grass, So basically, they seem like normal rabbits.

When i try to catch them they resist and try to run away.. so i have to use force because i would like to pet them. after a long run around the garden i finally catch them, When i bring them inside the house i offer them food but they resist to eat and all they do is just sit with no movement whatsoever for continious hours, i can see that their heartbeat is rapid and their heads are shaking.. How can i stop this and make them playful with me?

Thank you,
-Tech.

Chasing them down to the point where they are exhausted, have racing hearts, and are shaking is not only going to prove injurious to your bond with them, but could easily cause them serious physical harm; rabbits both overheat easily and can simply die of stress-related heart attacks. I'm very concerned to hear that it takes hours for them to normalize after this; please, for their sake, stop.

Bonding with a rabbit takes time, patience, and never force. It sounds like they were minimally socialized before you got them, and are now traumatized about handling, so it will take even more time and patience. I would do a few things:
- Normalize your presence. Spend time outdoors in their space sitting quietly and not attempting to touch or handle them. Bring a book or something to keep you occupied. Make yourself a frequent but non-threatening presence.
- Make your presence a positive thing. Figure out what some of their favorite foods are, offer them, then back off and let them enjoy. Over time, start gradually coming closer after offering food, preferably sitting so your presence is less imposing. When they are comfortable with you coming very near, start seeing if they'll accept food from your hands to make your hands something positive instead of something scary like they have been. As they grow more comfortable taking food from your hands, try stroking them gently while feeding them.
- If you find it is still very upsetting for them to picked up to come inside once they are more used to petting (many rabbits love being petted but don't enjoy being picked up), you may want to consider acclimating them to a carrier that they can enter on their own. Rabbits are naturally inclined to go to dark, enclosed spaces when stressed, so having carriers available that they can duck into might help with their nervousness, and if you start offering food bribes, you can condition them to enter the carrier for a bribe when you want them there. Then you can bring them indoors and start letting them get used to THAT environment - again, on their own time. Don't forcibly remove them from their carriers, and start in a more enclosed space filled with some simple but engaging things that will fetch their interest.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll get through to them, just remember: time and patience.

Many thanks to you sir thank you for this helpful information I shall apply your instrunctions.