Definitely not normal.

Its either being or has been over or under watered.

FYI they get a lot bigger than this.

Glad it found a home with you! I can tell you what works for me. I have a few TCs ( thanksgiving cactus ) . I have a cutting in a self watering pot! LOL! That one seems like it is doing well and even flowered for me last Christmas. However most of my plants are in their original soil and original thin plastic pots. I water them sparingly about once a week or when the soil looks a bit dry ( which is about once a week to every 10 days ) . Mine are in a bright spot but NOT in direct sunlight. I basically do not move them from their spot, but do rotate them every few weeks. The less I fuss with them, the better they do. The cuttings I plant that shrivel up and dry out, I remove. Other cuttings that take, I leave a lone. I am careful not to buy one every year because a lot of times you bring them home from the market and they have a slew of gnats that can infect my other plants. Better to root yourself from the Mother plant and start your own new plants. I root in water mostly. If I get lazy, I pop the cutting in the soil near the established plant. I always take a cutting that is about 3 - 4 segments long, and make sure I cut it slightly below the bottom of the segment. I then let it dry out for 2 - 3 days to callous a bit. Then I either pop it in a jar of water or into soft soil. When I out it in soft soil, I wait a week before I water and then water a tiny bit. Ideally, it is best to get a cutting that branches out into a Y shape.

Good luck!