In all but the formality of doing so, this post is dedicated to you. I didn't formally dedicate it to you because I thought there was a chance it would be attacked and I didn't want to drag anyone else into the mire with me.
Analogy is one of the most potent literary tools in existence because it is one of the most potent psychological tools in existence. The "cat shit/urine/litter box" analogy ... brilliant. One of the benefits of reading other great writers is being exposed to different ways of expressing similar ideas. And it's not just (or even most importantly) "different words," it's the differrnt thought processes that yield those words.
BTW ... "liken" is a good word I rarely use. Stealing.
Quill