This reminds me of something my great grandmother told me. When she was young everyone wore long dresses and skirts that had to be washed and ironed and you can imagine how quickly the hems of the skirts got dirty. She said they took a strip of fabric and stitched it to the hem of the skirt, wrapping it around to the inside and stitching it down on the inside as well. Then instead of washing the entire garment they would remove and wash the strip and then replace it.
The Whisker Guard sounds like the same idea. When I think how much I dislike doing laundry now, I can't imagine having to launder long dresses, hang them out to dry, starch and iron them. I might not like having to redo the cloth cover on the edge of the skirt either, but it certainly sounds easier. :D