Final answer:
The figurative language in the provided example is a simile as it compares the mouse's action of chewing through the cage to cheese using 'as if,' highlighting the ease of the mouse's escape.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of figurative language used in the example is a simile. This is because the statement compares the ease with which the mouse chewed through the cage to cheese by using the word 'as if.' It implies that the mouse was able to escape from the cage very easily, which is a typical characteristic of similes that make comparisons using the words 'like' or 'as.' The meaning of this simile is to illustrate just how effortlessly the mouse was able to chew through the material of the cage, suggesting it was as simple for the mouse as chewing through cheese would be, not that the cage actually tasted like cheese or was made from it.