I need to do something with this soil.

[FrankSpencer]

Please give suggestions!
I recently moved into rented terraced house. It's not fantastic but it's what we can afford until we clear our debts. Anyway, the land lord is a bit of a cow boy and when we moved in, there was a huge area at the back of the yard used as a dumping ground for all manner of rubbish.
Long story short, we put our foot down to have it removed and what's left is a patch of soil.
The soil isn't great and weeds grow like mad in it when the weather allows. And all the neighborhood cats use this patch as their own dumping ground, blee! It's under a tree, too. Not much sun.
What's best? Can I grow grass? I don't want weeds and would love some proper grass to grow just to cover the area but would it grow when the cats keep sifting through the soil and uncovering the grass seeds? I've not a clue.

You can get grass seed for shady areas - perhaps you could ask for advice at a larger garden centre, they often have people who can help. To keep cats off, mix a tablespoon of garlic puree with water and water the ground with it every week or two - they don't like the smell!

Rake and level the soil, removing any twigs/stones/rubbish/weeds. Sow seed (choose a mix specifically for shady areas, as suggested above). Rake in. Then cover with horticultural fleece, pegged down at the edges, until it germinates. This will protect it from cats digging and birds eating the seeds. Water thoroughly every day, twice a day if it gets hot (morning and evening). The wet should also help to put off the cats. Keep a water pistol handy for deterring any cat you see wandering into the garden.