How to keep cats from peeing on outdoor carpet?

[Orrex]

My small town neighborhood has a number of feral cats, and every one of them uses our yard as a litter box.

If anything soft or squishy is left within reach, they piss all over it. Shoes, boots, brooms, seat cushions, welcome mats, newspaper, bundled tarps, you name it.

Meanwhile our neighbors leave out cushions and whatnot, but the cats leave these alone. The neighbors have taken no steps to repel the cats, so what's the secret? What do I do to keep them away?

I'm planning to get an outdoor carpet for our 3/4 enclosed front porch, and I don't want it to become cat piss central.


Any suggestions?